


Sunshine in the Moonlight

by randomfandomimagine



Series: Sunshine in the Moonlight [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Family, Fix-It, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Original Character(s), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-07-18 14:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 134,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16120382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomfandomimagine/pseuds/randomfandomimagine
Summary: Alexandria Adelaide is used to her routine as one of the king counselors. Everything changes, though, when King Regis himself asks her to join Prince Noctis and the Crownsguard on their journey to Altissia.





	1. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexandria Adelaide is used to her routine as one of the king counselors. Everything changes, though, when King Regis himself asks her to join Prince Noctis and the Crownsguard on their journey to Altissia.

If only my heart would stop beating so fast.  
I always got slightly nervous whenever King Regis demanded my presence, and seeing Ignis coming to fetch me usually made me queasy because of it. But with Prince Noctis' incoming trip everything was even more chaotic than usual.  
Positive about the fact that whatever the king had to tell me had to do with it, I took a deep breath to calm the nerves.  
"Calm yourself, Alexandria" Ignis told me gravely, placing a comforting hand in my back. "I still can't understand why you always get frightened when Your Majesty calls upon you"  
"I can't help it" Came my only response, with a shaky voice that gave my anxiety away.  
The hallways seemed especially long and endless as we walked. I wished we would get to the throne room already.  
The silence between me and my friend and colleague was unsettling. It only helped me to overthink the situation more, so I felt the need to break it.  
"Do you have any idea why he needs to meet me?"  
"You're part of the Council" He merely replied, a hint of a grin upon his lips.  
I smiled a little, knowing it was what he tried to achieve.  
"I meant for what matter"  
"Noct's journey, I assume"  
Finally getting to the throne room, the big doors loudly opened as Ignis pushed them. At the end of the room we saw King Regis, sitting in his chair, waiting patiently and calmly.  
"Your Majesty" I bowed to him once I was close enough to him to hear what he had to say.  
"Thank you, Ignis" The King looked over to my friend first.  
The aforesaid nodded his head solemnly and proceeded to leave the room. I opened my eyes wide, terrified of facing the situation alone, and looked over at him. As he closed the heavy doors behind him, Ignis dedicated me a reassuring smile. Everything would be okay.  
"Alexandria" Regis' voice brought my attention back to him.  
"Yes"  
"You have proven to be a wise, loyal and kind advisor during your time serving the Crown" He began to say in his important royal voice. "For that, you have my deepest gratitude"  
My heart sped up with his words, fearing it was his way of saying goodbye. Being afraid to hear the words 'I don't require your service anymore' right after.  
"It's been an honor, it is but my duty" As usual, I did my best to appear elegant and polite.  
I hung my head low and tried to keep my eyes glued to the ground. Looking into the king's eyes felt invasive, daring almost. Such a big figure, a royal one, wasn't to be feared. But definitely to be respected.  
"However, I must ask for your help once more" His flat voice quivered a little, being replaced with a softness that I hardly ever heard coming from him.  
"Is something troubling you, Your Majesty?" I worried, daring to look up and analyze his expression.  
Honestly, the king seemed especially tired. And not only because of the efforts that being a monarch and protecting Insomnia and the crystal implied. King Regis also seemed preoccupied, like something was weighing on him.  
"I would like you to accompany my son on his journey"  
I gawked at him, shocked by such a petition. I blinked a few times to recover from the surprise and cleared my throat when I felt my voice weak and tiny.  
"But I thought that Gladiolus and Ignis were coming with him too, and-" The King's Shield, along with my best friend Ignis and another boy, were supposed to go with Prince Noctis.  
Had something happened? Were they not going? Why would the king need me?  
"They are" Regis interrupted me, smiling a little in amusement to my nervous outburst. "Yet I want you to go with them"  
"N-no offence, King Regis, but I don't understand..."  
"I merely want you to support him, to guide him with your kindness and sweetness"  
A heavy weight fell inside my stomach when I wondered why the king would ask of me something like that. I could read it in his expression, something was wrong.  
"Is there something you're not telling me?" For the first time in my time serving the Crown, I left aside all manners and polite and correct speech. I was truly worried.  
The king was a smart man, and he knew that Noctis would be okay with his three friends already looking after him in his journey. Especially with his Shield, his Advisor and his best friend.  
If he wanted me to go along with them, it meant that he saw something in me that the other three didn't have. That Prince Noctis would need me to provide him with something special that only I had. I couldn't understand what.  
There was nothing special about me whatsoever. I was wise and intelligent for my age, like he had said, but Ignis was far brighter in that field. I was quite strong and skilled in battle, but nothing compared to the great strength of Gladiolus Amicitia. And I was kind and compassionate, but wouldn't compete with the intimate connection the prince had with his best friend – although I didn't even know his name yet, nor had I met him.  
"Worry not, Alexandria" It was one of those rare occasions in which King Regis showed himself as just a man instead of as our ruler. "I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't know you would do a great job"  
His sudden familiarity and colloquial speech took me by surprise. But I managed a small reverence and a gallant nod.  
"It will be a great pleasure and honor to follow your orders, Your Majesty"  
When I briefly glanced over to him, the king was smiling. A fond and broad smile that soon disappeared to be replaced with his usual stern and regal demeanor.  
"That will be all" His grave voice resonated all around the spacious room.  
"Thank you" I replied, used to say that, and turned around.  
As I took the first step toward the doors, my heart began to thump against my chest. Part of me still wondered what the king was hiding, but I decided to trust him. After all, Regis was a fair and just monarch. He knew what he was doing.  
As soon as I opened the doors, I heaved a huge sigh of relief.  
"Well?" A classy accented voice startled me.  
I turned to see no other than Ignis Scientia leaning against the wall. When we locked eyes, he adjusted his glasses over his nose, serene.  
"Have you been listening?" I chuckled, delighted with the mere idea.  
"Of course not" His green eyes fell over me. "That would be rude"  
I smiled at him and silently walked with my friend, almost in an understanding to go get everything prepared.  
After all, the both of us were going to the same place.

 

Turned out Prince Noctis had left packing for the last minute and Ignis had to help him. What a surprise, the brat...  
Even though I was fond of King Regis, I didn't really like his son. To me, he came out as a capricious kid who was arrogant and irritating. If it weren't for Ignis and Gladiolus, the journey would be insufferable.  
Luckily, that also gave me time to pack my own belongings. I didn't really know how many things I would need for our journey to Altissia, seeing as we didn't really have a return date. But I was prudent enough to take with me anything I thought I would need.  
While I prepared my suitcase with nothing but the essentials, I received a text message in my phone. I opened it to see that it was from Ignis – he was telling me where and when to go in order to meet to head out for Altissia.  
I replied to let him know that I received it and that I would be there. Then, I carried on packing while my mind drifted to diverse thoughts, most of them concerning the small adventure ahead of me.  
I knew these four men –well, technically I knew three of them –and I what to expect. I knew our destination and I was aware of how things were going to develop, which left me at ease since I had developed an aversion towards surprises. Daring to say I was quite like Ignis in that regard, I enjoyed planning ahead and having all situations under my control. That aspect of the journey didn't trouble me. Neither was I worried about our safety. We were all skilled in the art of fighting no matter what, and we would keep each other safe.  
Yet it all somehow disturbed me although I couldn't find a reason why. It was truly irrational as I had no real reason why I should be as nervous. I wondered if it was my instinct warning me about something, yet I just blamed it on the giddiness and did my best to focus on my task.

 

Dammit, I was late! It was the first time I was late, but still...  
Well, technically the second time. The first time was during my first day... I was so nervous that I was awake for the entirety of the previous night and only fell sleep one hour prior to my first meeting. And ended up sleeping through my alarm clock.  
When I got to the staircase, everyone was prepared to leave, all their goodbyes and farewell wishes already said. I ran to them, feeling stupid and ridiculous. This wasn't an acceptable behavior for a woman who was part of the King's Council! Ignis would lecture me.  
"I'm here!" I exclaimed as I arrived to them, hailing to a stop next to the Regalia.  
All five men turned to me, giving me different reactions each.  
Ignis showed me the disappointed glare I expected, Gladio cocked an eyebrow and watched curiously, Noctis rolled his eyes and ignored me, the King smiled a little fondly, and the blond boy who I was meeting for the first time was surprised yet intrigued.  
"I'm incredibly sorry! Sorry I'm late!" I did a pronounced reverence, first to the king and then to the prince, trying to regain my breath.  
It got off to a really bad start, arriving late before we even left. I surely made a horrible impression, and I felt embarrassed and mortified.  
"No harm done" To my utter astonishment, King Regis placed a friendly hand in my back.  
Upon hearing this, I finally stood up straight from my bow. I looked at him and saw that he was still smiling a little. There was definitely something odd about the king lately.  
"Gladiolus, Ignis" I turned to them, trying to be as polite as I could. "My apologies"  
"Don't worry about it" The first one said, friendly.  
"I suppose anyone can have a slip up" The latter complied.  
"C'mon!" Noctis exclaimed impatiently. "Let's go already!"  
"We're in no hurry, Noct" Ignis reminded him calmly.  
I then turned to the odd man out, the blond boy who stared at me in curiosity. I found it invasive, but oddly endearing. He seemed nice.  
"You must be Prince Noctis' famous friend" Indeed, he must have been really close to him to come along with the Shield and the royal advisor, even if part of the Crownsguard himself. "I'm Alexandria Adelaide"  
The blond boy gawked at me, giving me an adorable puppy eyed look. Gladiolus shoved him a little, smiling in amusement, so he would react.  
"I-I'm... Prompto" The doe-eyed boy sputtered in the end. "Prompto Argentum"  
"Pleasure to meet you, Prompto" I told him, offering my hand for him to shake.  
It took him a few seconds, but he put his gloved hand over mine. His grip was surprisingly soft and gentle.  
"Sorry I'm late as well" I cleared my throat, trying to regain composure, and let go of our handshake.  
"N-no need to apologize, heh!" He laughed nervously, showing me a bright grin.  
"Time to go!" The prince insisted, hating all this unnecessary chatter.  
All four of them walked over to the car, Ignis taking the wheel. Except for Prompto, who stood behind slightly to take a better look at me, and I did the same. After all, we were to be together in quite a long journey and it was the first time we ever met.  
I was about to follow, maybe try to make small talk with him, when a hand fell on my shoulder.  
"Alexandria" The king demanded my attention.  
"Anything wrong, Your Majesty?" I worried, seeing him even more tired than last time.  
"Look after him, remain at his side just like they will" He said with his kingly voice, to which I nodded. However, his voice softened next. "I'm sure you'll grow fond of him, and he of you"  
That was the last thing I expected Regis to say to me. Definitely, that statement hid something that I didn't really catch.  
The monarch knew of my opinion of his son, despite the fact that I had never voiced them to anyone, not even to Ignis. I kept them to myself, because how was I to say anything against our beloved Prince Noctis? The Chosen? The heir?  
Yet the king seemed to have noticed in spite of it all. And he expected me to change my mind, he didn't have a doubt when believing that we would become... friends?  
It took every fiber in my body not to huff or roll my eyes, but I didn't. Instead, I gave a humble and docile head nod accompanied by a smile.  
"I will be there for him" Despite my enmity to Prince Noctis, it was my duty to guide and protect him and that was what I intended to do.  
"You must go now" Was all he said to me, apparently satisfied by my answer. "Farewell"  
With a last brief reverence, I turned my back to the king.  
Unexpectedly, I felt jittery as I walked to the Regalia and squeezed next to Noctis in the backseat. He didn't even look at me when I did, and neither did he bother to leave me much room.  
I dedicated another glance to the king, who stood there watching us leave. My brow wrinkled in bewilderment as I wondered what was going through Regis' head.  
But I was startled by the sound of the engine starting, and I had to drag my eyes away when Ignis drove off.  
Preparing myself for the trip ahead of us, I looked at the four men in the car with me.  
I couldn't know what to expect of our little adventure, but it would certainly be an interesting journey.


	2. A Bump on the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as they leave for their journey, an inconvenience happens: the Regalia breaks down. As well as living with her first travelling experience, Alexandria has to get used to her new company, especially Prince Noctis and his friend Prompto.

All I wanted to do was to mimic what Prompto did before and carelessly plop down on the ground, lying down and giving a rest to my sore muscles. But I wanted to appear unconcerned and serene. I merely leaned on the wall, catching my breath and resting in silence while Ignis and Noctis talked to Cindy, the mechanic that was repairing our car. I just hoped none of the boys felt like talking to me, because I was too exhausted to speak at the moment.  
After the car broke down and we had to drag it to Hammerhead –being the gentlemen they were, the four of them insisted that a lady like myself shouldn't push with them, but I just couldn't stand there doing nothing while they did all the hard work -, we were all a tad moody and worn out. Luckily, the Regalia should be fixed soon enough.  
On the other hand, we weren't so lucky seeing as we needed to earn some money to be able to pay for the repair. Definitely an unexpected turn of events.  
"Gladiolus" I called him, hoping he would keep the conversation at a minimum.  
He turned his head to me, his amber eyes confidently locking with mine.  
"Gladio" He corrected me with a smirk.  
I decided to ignore his comment and keep on speaking.  
"Do we have to hunt so we can earn some money?"  
"Yup, gotta show who's boss" He coolly crossed his strong arms over his chest. "Why? You scared?"  
I knew he was teasing me, we had trained together many times after all. And Gladio definitely enjoyed winding me up, hoping to get a reaction from me.  
"Of course I'm not! I just wanted to know, that's all" I replied, offended by his lack of faith in me. Gladiolus let out a smug chuckle, his smirk widening slightly.  
"Now you know: we have to" He motioned over to the grease-monkey girl. "Cindy said it's what we need to do"  
"What do you think about Cindy, Alexandria?" Prompto asked me, a curious twinkle in his vibrant blue eyes.  
"She is pretty" I mumbled, feeling slightly jealous.  
I was never a girl like Cindy was. Boys didn't stop to stare at me and neither did they consider me in that way. And seeing the four of them gawking at her -although mainly Gladiolus and Prompto -wasn't my cup of tea.  
Surely, I had many talents other than outside beauty. And I had better things to worry about than romance, such as looking after my duties and trying to cultivate myself in mind and body. But it was always nice to be complimented and noticed.  
My eyes darted from one man to the other when I realized they were staring at me in surprise. Had they never heard a girl compliment another girl?  
"What?" I defended myself, shrugging in a carefree fashion. "Objectively speaking, Cindy is good-looking"  
"Are you and Ignis siblings?" Prompto said all of a sudden. "You're so alike!"  
"No!" I laughed, slightly flattered that he saw similarity.  
Although it wasn't the first time such comparison was made. After all, we spent a lot of time together and not only did we have similar attitudes but also physical appearance.  
Ignis' tawny hair resembled my own, except for the fact that mine was lighter. And my dark brown eyes had a hint of green in them like his emerald ones. But other than that, we were mainly alike in our demeanors. Still, that was only because I had always tried to be like Ignis.  
He was an intelligent man, a selfless and elegant individual that I had always admired. Besides, in order to fit into the Royal Council I felt like I needed to be more like him, so I had always seen him as some sort of a role model.  
"It definitely wouldn't be the first time we're mistaken for relatives" Ignis' voice said as he joined us, a bit of amusement dripping from it.  
"What's up, Noct?" The blond asked the raven-haired prince as he arrived with Ignis.  
"She gave us some money to stay somewhere and rest" The first one let out a resigned sigh. "But we still need to hunt to earn some more"  
Of course we did.  
I turned around, rolling my eyes when I thought they couldn't see me, and started to walk away.  
"I need some water" I sulked, heading for the diner.  
Actually, I was in a really bad mood. It wasn't like I had expected in the least.  
For starters, the car had failed us at the very start of our journey. It wasn’t a wise decision to let Prompto drive it, as we had to push the Regalia all the way and then wait until Cid and Cindy fixed it.  
Also, Prince Noctis was whiny and just overall irritating to me. He didn't really care that much about anything, really, just about taking a good nap while the rest of us solved everything.  
Luckily, I was still in great terms with Ignis and Gladiolus.  
"I'll go with you!" Prompto offered cheerfully, jumping up from his sitting positing in the ground.  
I didn't mind his company that much. He ended up being incredibly friendly, and actually made me smile in spite of myself with his witty and funny comments. Prompto turned out to greatly improve my mood with his bubbly personality.  
The air conditioner that received us as soon as we walked into the diner made me let out an involuntary sigh of relief. It really cooled me down after the physical strain and the heat that we were under for quite a while there.  
I sat in one of the red stools and patiently waited for the waiter to take our order. We didn't really have the money to get any food, but hopefully they'd serve us some water for free.  
Prompto sat in the adjacent stool and swung his legs around like a child, which made me grin as well. As soon as the man came and asked us what we wanted, my companion spoke up for me.  
"Two waters, please" He said, holding up two fingers.  
Prompto then used his arms as a pillow as he rested his head on the counter, and I leaned mine on my hand as I rested my elbow on the surface. Still resting his cheek on the counter, Prompto turned his head to look at me.  
"Great start, huh?"  
"Delightful" I replied sarcastically, taking advantage that Ignis couldn't hear me.  
He didn't really like when I was sarcastic, I couldn't understand why when he often was himself. Probably because I was being slightly passive aggressive and it was rude and disrespectful.  
It had been a long time since I allowed myself to be sarcastic, though. I had learned some proper manners, and in the environment I was always in because of the king I had to keep a serious demeanor.  
The waiter brought us two glasses of water, to which we both said thanks at the unison. Prompto drank his almost in one go, and I took a long gulp that greatly refreshed my dry throat.  
"Can I... ask you something?" The blond piped up after a brief silence.  
"I suppose..." I shrugged, taking another sip of my water.  
"You don't... get along with Noct, do you?"  
For a moment I was silent, not really knowing how to react to the sudden question.  
"Uh... That's quite an improper question to ask, don't you think?"  
"Sorry..." He just let out a light chuckle, even if he blushed a little.  
There was a small pause in which none of us spoke. Prompto surely felt uncomfortable with the silence, though, because he piped up again.  
"He's a really cool guy once you get to know him, trust me" Cautiously, he nudged me in the ribs, almost hoping he wasn't going too far. "You just need to give him a chance"  
I would if ‘His Highness’ would give me a break and stop giving me death glares or annoyed looks as well as complaining about me. Not that we spent too much time together anyhow, but when we did and I commented something about his attitude to him he would snap at me. It had gotten to a point where Prince Noctis would roll his eyes at me if I as much as glanced at him.  
"I believe you" I half-joked, really wanting to reciprocate about his happy-go-lucky attitude.  
Prompto smiled broadly and then averted his eyes, looking through the windows. When I followed his gaze and realized he was looking at Cindy in admiration, I rolled my eyes and focused back on my water.  
I drank the rest of it and sighed, hoping our journey from now on would develop in a more satisfying manner. I tried to be optimistic and tell myself that this was but a bump on the road.  
Suddenly, my companion jumped to his feet and waved his hand around to catch my attention.  
"Alex!" He called me absently. "We're ready to go"  
He sprinted out of the diner, since I realized Gladiolus was gesturing through the window for him to move. I obliged in a daze.  
I knew he hadn't even realized, but he had called me Alex, which left me bewildered. It had been a very long time since someone called me that, and the fond nickname brought me a wave of warmth that forced me to smile.  
I followed after him, hopeful for the rest of our trip together.

 

I wasn't too bothered by my black tight trousers nor by my leather boots, but I was certainly feeling strangled because of my thick patterned jacket. So I took it off and tied it around my waist, leaving me in my light gray t-shirt, tired of the scorching sun shining upon us.  
"Are they supposed to be too far away now?" Prompto whined quite a bit too, and it was starting to get on my sulky mood.  
I sighed tiredly as I brought my hands to my neck, attempting to braid my long wavy hair into a comfortable and practical braid.  
"I believe there are our targets" Ignis stated, pointing over to a few scorpion-looking creatures.  
"Let's get down to business" Gladiolus coolly said, holding his hand out until his big sword appeared right in front of it.  
"Alright!" Prompto excitedly said, taking out his gun, ready to battle.  
"Let's do it" Noctis looked over to me, almost defiantly.  
That boy was about to see what I could do with a sword.  
Before I could send him another challenging glare, he had warped to stand in front of the enemies, denying me any chance to do so. I huffed, knowing he had done it deliberately to wind me up.  
"Reckless" Ignis smiled a little, finding that deed somehow endearing.  
The three remaining men raced to get to the prince and give him some backup in battle, so I resigned myself. I took a breath with determination and made my slender sword to materialize in front of me. Perks of being a Lucian, even though I couldn't really warp strike like Prince Noctis. But the king had insisted on granting me that small power to aid me in the journey.  
I smirked to myself, prepared for some action, and ran to catch up with the others. Although they were almost done defeating them, a new wave of scorpions arrived. My time to shine.  
I approached the closest creature and swung my sword horizontally, hitting it and making it shriek in pain. The scorpion jumped at me in anger, but I was fast enough to take a small jump back to avoid being hit and easily parried the strike. With another thrust, the creature was easily defeated. I nimbly moved around, swinging my weapon in a circle and killing another one in one mere blow.  
I could hear my companion’s small banter as they fought themselves, along with their pained grunts and heavy breathing. I continued to attack, parry and evade the hits while they assisted me in battle. In that manner, we got rid of the pest in no time.  
"All done" Ignis concluded proudly when the last one fell.  
I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand as I calmly used the other one to get rid of the sword for the time being.  
Calmly turning around to meet face to face with the boys, I realized that two of them were staring blankly at me. Prince Noctis and his friend Prompto. Come to think of it, they were the only ones that had never witnessed me during a fight. Gladiolus was in part responsible for my skills, taking in consideration he trained with me and showed me a way to improve myself. And being so close with Ignis, he knew about my swordsmanship as well. The prince and the blond, on the other hand, had no idea what I was capable of.  
"I'm impressed" Came Prince Noctis' voice.  
That definitely had to be one of the first –if not the actual first –times his voice wasn't dripping with sarcasm or mockery when addressing me. And he had just complimented me, in his own way.  
"Thank you" For once, I decided to spare him the bitter comment too.  
"Don't get too confident, Alexandria" Ignis warned me, always devoted to his unofficial role as my mentor. "It is but the first of many battles"  
"That was so cool!" Exclaimed Prompto, finally closing his mouth, that he had agape in awe.  
In fact, he held his hand up in the air for me to high-five him. Such a mundane gesture made me froze.  
The rational part of me said that it went against all the principles that I was trying to represent as a member of the great King's Council. Also, I had been too focused on my purpose that it felt like years since someone last offered to high-five me. Which was quite sad and absurd.  
Probably figuring I was somewhat stuck-up, Noctis high-fived his friend instead seeing as I took more than two seconds to respond. I tried to encourage Prompto with a small chaste smile, hoping he didn't notice my reluctance like his royal friend had. Noctis did, however, roll his eyes at me. In fact, so hard that for a moment I feared they would get stuck on his skull. He also shook his head in an exasperated gesture.  
"We still have work to do" Gladiolus reminded me, enthusiastically patting my back as he passed by. He approached the two and began walking with them, saying something to Noctis about his form.  
I sighed when the attention was diverged from me and nodded to myself. Truth was, I observed Prince Noctis, pleasantly surprised. In order to avoid getting Prompto's feelings hurt, he hadn't thought twice to intervene. Perhaps I had misjudged him, he seemed to care deeply about his friends despite it all.  
I guessed that Ignis and Gladiolus wouldn't stand by his side if he wasn't worth it. Ready or not to take the throne, they saw something special in him. Special enough to follow him.  
I still didn't like him, though.  
"Is everything alright, Alexandria?" Ignis' voice startled me as he stood next to me.  
"Why would you ask?"  
"You seem tense"  
"I'm not tense..."  
Only when his gloved hand gently wrapped around my bare one, did I realize it was closed in a fist. Involuntarily, I had taken in a stiff posture. I let out a breath that I realized I was holding and opened my hands, cautiously looking up into his green eyes.  
"Maybe a little..." I admitted, tilting my head to the side in resignation.  
"There is no need to be so uptight, dear" I knew Ignis was concerned when he used such terms of endearment. While they weren't impossible to hear from his lips, it was definitely rare.  
Luckily, I felt comfortable enough to confess my restlessness. One of the things that I was allowed to do in presence of King Regis was speak my mind. After all, it was my honest opinion what contributed to the counseling he sought from me. Even if it sometimes clashed with his own, but we both looked for the kingdom's best interest just like Ignis and the rest.  
Being Ignis my friend as well, I wanted to share my unease with him. Most likely, I was making a great deal out of something truly small.  
"Such a small gesture as a simple high-five... It... puzzled me" I confessed, feeling the need to avert my gaze. "It has been so long since I had such an everyday exchange like that… I froze, I didn't know how to act. Surely you wouldn't think less of me because of that"  
"You've been put under a much greater pressure than I thought you were" Ignis scanned my expression, his green eyes laced with worry still. "You've been surrounded by politicians for far too long and it has become a burden"  
"What do you mean?"  
"You're too young to behave like a full grown-up, I believe"  
I raised my eyebrows, understanding what he was trying to say. I had been too busy keeping appearances, almost losing myself along the way. I needed to relax a little and stop overacting over a simple high-five. I had, indeed, spent almost every second of the day surrounded by the Council, important and earnest people.  
"It is a bit silly, isn't it?" I chuckled in the end, self-conscious all of a sudden.  
"Take Noct, for instance" Ignis adjusted his glasses absently. "One year younger than yourself, Alex, but he rejoices in the small things"  
Two 'Alex's in one day! Not to appear childish, I tried to hide the fact that it felt exhilarating to be addressed as something different than the dull 'Alexandria'.  
I looked at the prince, just in time to see him being playfully pushed by Prompto. Noctis laughed and pushed him back, keeping the horseplay going.  
"Are you saying I need to get myself a Prompto?" I joked, letting him know that the message he tried to deliver got through and that I was willing to obey it.  
"Perhaps" Ignis laughed, a soft but genuine chuckle.  
"Hey, Miss Adelaide!" Gladio shouted in the distance. "Are you coming or what?"  
"Sorry!" I yelled back, holding my hand up and starting to walk to catch up with them.  
"You can fulfill your duty and still remain true to yourself, remember that" My friend reminded me as we started moving.  
"Thanks, Iggy" I observed him closely, studying his reaction.  
Like I expected, his face lit up with the nickname. It had been so long since I last called him that as well! Perhaps our journey wouldn't be good for Prince Noctis only, but for myself as well.


	3. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day is proven challenging for Alexandria, who is not used to all that walking, fighting and physical effort in general. But her friends' support seems to be helping a lot.

Prompto triumphantly hummed a catchy tune to celebrate our victory. I locked eyes with him, and the light chuckle he let out next made me smile a tiny bit.  
We were done taking on the pests that Cindy asked us to take care of. In this last fight, I took a look at everyone’s fighting abilities instead of focusing on my own to prove myself.  
Noctis was surprisingly very skilled, and his warp strikes were neat. Prompto mainly used guns and had a really good aim, even if I hadn’t gotten used to the sound of gunfire around me and I kept getting startled because of it.  
I was familiar already with Ignis and Gladiolus’ styles, so I didn’t take much notice of them, really. Even though it was still impressive and skilled nonetheless.  
“Sounds like you’re having fun” Gladio humored the bubbly boy, who had just finished humming.  
“Everyone alright?” Ignis looked over his shoulder to check on us.  
“Yup” Noctis replied calmly, and I nodded as well.  
“It’s gotten dark, though” Prompto observed, looking up to the sky.  
It was already of a dark blue color and stars were starting to appear, shining bright. It was beautiful to see them without any city light shadowing their glow.  
“We should camp” Observed Gladiolus, stretching his arms after the battle.  
“I agree” The tawny-haired man nodded his head.  
“Yay, dinner!” Prompto jumped around, leading the march to get to a good camping spot.  
“What’s in the menu today, Specs?” Noctis grinned in amusement, his eyes on the blond even if he was speaking to Ignis.  
To be honest, the stress and activity of the day was starting to weight on me. It was the first time I would camp and I knew it wouldn’t be as comfortable as a bed, but I was so exhausted that I couldn’t wait to lie down nonetheless.  
In fact, I began to zone out and I heard the conversation absently.  
“I was thinking about cooking some rice balls”  
“Do we have Cup Noodle?”  
“We can’t live on ramen, Gladio”  
“Who cares about food? I’m sleepy!”  
“What a surprise, Noct”  
“Guys, in here!” The only thing that took my attention was Prompto excitedly running toward us.  
I stared at him, wondering where he got all that energy from. Was he not exhausted? Even Ignis and Gladiolus were obviously weary. Not to mention Prince Noctis, who wouldn’t stop yawning.  
We dragged ourselves along as we followed the bubbly boy, making small talk to get over the long way up there in the small ledge that he had pointed us to.  
I had the urge to rest a hand over Gladiolus or Ignis’ shoulder and lean my weight on them, as I was so sore and fatigued. But I held it back and lazily dragged my feet instead.  
“I sure hope Cindy fixed the car” Prince Noctis mumbled, accompanying his words with yet another yawn.  
I internally cursed him when I did the same, infected with the yawning.  
“That’s right!” Prompto responded a bit further away. “Tomorrow we get to see her again!”  
“Easy, lover boy” Gladiolus laughed, amused by his obvious crush on her.  
“You have way too much energy” I piped up to back his comment up.  
That directed his attention to me since I had been so quiet, his vibrant blue eyes falling over me. He nimbly moved to stay to my left and rested an elbow on my shoulder and began to chat with me.  
“How are you, Alexandria?” It was almost smug, as though he knew what I would answer yet wanted to hear it.  
“Tired and moody”  
I supposed his intentions were to lighten the mood seeing how grumpy I was, but I couldn’t be bothered to go along with him. He gave up in the end, and neither did the rest try themselves.  
My only goal was to get to our camping spot and sit down, rejoicing in the taste of Ignis’ delicious supper and resting. 

 

Being so tired was new to me, as I wasn’t used to so much physical effort. The life of a royal advisor was quite uneventful and sedentary. So I didn’t even realize I could part take in their lively conversation until Ignis nudged me gently.  
“Anything the matter?” His green eyes pierced me with interest.  
“I just can’t wait to go to sleep” I rubbed my eyes, already feeling groggy.  
”Little Alex is not a warrior like we are” Gladiolus teased me a little.  
“Yep” I acknowledged, not bothering to say anything witty or interesting back.  
To be quite honest, my brain could hardly even process what they were saying anymore.  
“How did you like the first day with the entourage?” Prompto piped up.  
“Wasn’t too bad” I smiled a little. “The company couldn’t be better”  
“My thoughts exactly” Ignis agreed, standing up to gather the dishes.  
“Dinner was delicious” I mumbled to let him know I appreciated it. “Thank you”  
“My pleasure” He nodded to Prompto as well when the blond jumped to his feet and helped him.  
“You’ll have to excuse me, but I don’t think I have the strength to help you clean up right now” I sighed, trying to keep my eyes open. “I will next time, I promise”  
“No pressure, Alexandria”  
“Isn’t she adorable when she’s sleepy?”  
For a moment I didn’t even know who said it, until I felt Gladiolus playfully patting my back before he stood up as well. I absently glanced at Noctis, who was too busy playing some game on his phone.  
I really wanted to say goodbye to them and get into the cozy and welcoming tent, but I didn’t even have the heart to stand up from my comfortable seat, even if it was just a folding chair. I promised myself that I would, I just needed to sit for a bit more, so I rested my jaw on my hand as I leaned my elbow on the arm of the chair.  
The warm and bright fire was all the more cozy, and it almost lulled me to sleep.  
“Hey!” Prompto cheerfully plopped down in the chair next to me, previously occupied by Ignis, startling me. “Wanna see the photos I took today?”  
“You… took photos?” I asked him, looking at him out of utter shock. “I didn’t realize”  
I did have a hazy image of him pulling out a camera and randomly shooting pictures while we were camping, but I was so out of it that I didn’t quite register it.  
“Some of them were during our fights”  
“Since when are you a photographer?”  
“Since always, really” He shrugged, taking his camera out of his pocket.  
He just turned the camera on and scooted his chair closer to mine in order to let me see the pictures that displayed in the screen.  
The first photo was one of Prompto doing a peace sign with his fingers as he posed, all of us in the background while we fought the scorpions. He actually took a selfie during the battle. I couldn’t suppress an amused guffaw when I saw it.  
“You nerd, you took a selfie?!” The words escaped from my mouth before I could stop them.  
Ignis often said that when I got extremely tired it was almost as though I was intoxicated. I lost all my inhibitions and spoke openly, without giving it a second thought or stopping to see if what I was about to say was fitting.  
I feared he took them the wrong way, that he didn’t realize the fond tone I used when calling him a ‘nerd’. But luckily, Prompto reacted by showing me one of the most genuine smiles I had ever seen. I could have sworn he blushed as well, but it was hard to tell under the dim light of the camp fire.  
“What’s the next one?” I urged him, trying to forget about that silly moment.  
Prompto hummed affirmatively and pressed the button to swipe to the next photo.  
It was quite endearing, a selfie with the prince and the blond himself. One could hardly even say that Noctis was royalty – in that picture he seemed like a regular boy, having fun with his friend.  
Briefly looking up at me, almost as though he asked for permission, he paused before actually pressing the button again.  
A picture of Gladiolus and Ignis followed, the both of them posing to the camera. I snorted in laughter when I saw myself and Noctis in the background, glancing at the camera with funny faces because we thought we saw a flash of light.  
I yawned in spite of myself, craving rest even if I was enjoying myself with Prompto and I didn’t really want to be rude and ask him to leave.  
“Prompto” Ignis, eternally maternal, had my back. “Would you mind escorting the lady inside while we clean up?”  
“No problem!” The blond easily saved his camera back and stood up.  
I wanted to mimic him, but my body wouldn’t follow the order my brain was trying to send. Noticing this, Prompto chuckled and offered me a hand. I gladly took it and allowed him to pull me up.  
“C’mon, you need to rest” He commented. “You look like you could fall asleep right here standing up”  
My head fell on his shoulder at ease when he placed an arm around my waist and let me support myself on him. I mentally thanked him for that.  
“You guys are spoiling me” I forced myself to say, just to avoid feeling so childish. It didn’t have the effect I desired, for it sounded cheesy.  
Prompto paused as we came into the tent, focusing on helping me sit down on the ground, there where I had placed my sleeping bag.  
“Need to take care of the only girl in the group” He sat on the ground, crossing his legs.  
I couldn’t help but to give him a glare, feeling like he was underestimating me.  
“N-Not that you need to be looked after, of course!” His friendly expression shifted into one of panic, his eyes open wide. “I-I didn’t mean that… All I was saying is… You obviously can hold your own, you’ve proven it but…”  
“Prompto…” I smiled, realizing he had just used the wrong words to express himself.  
“It’s just that one has to treat a girl nicely, right? I mean… I-Iggy would agree!”  
I shook my head, still smiling, as I closed my eyes and lied down on my side.  
“Stop freaking out” I reassured him, stirring until I found a comfortable position. “I got what you meant”  
He was just trying to be helpful and chivalrous, which was quite endearing.  
“G-good” Came his response.  
I heard him muttering something right after, but I was already dozing off. 

 

When I woke up, it was bright outside. It was delightful, extremely comfortable, warm and cozy. Until I opened my eyes and found myself alone in the tent.  
Well, except for Noctis, who was sprawled out in the other corner. He was fast asleep, softly snoring and stirring every once in a while.  
I rubbed my eyes to sober up and quietly headed to open the tent not to wake the royal one up. Not only it was plain rude to wake him without a reason, but I did not want to put up with his morning mood. Especially if his slumber was interrupted because of me.  
I opened the zipper of my sleeping bag and threw the top off myself. It was then when I realized I was sweating because it was extremely warm inside there.  
Wondering what the other three were up to, I stood up and exited the tent. There I found Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto chatting over breakfast.  
“Good morning, Alexandria” Ignis was the first one to notice me.  
The other two turned to me in their seats, since I was behind them.  
“Sleeping beauty is up” Gladiolus smirked, his amber eyes following me as I lazily plopped down in the chair next to him.  
“Mornin’, buddy!” Prompto waved at me, making my day with a bright smile.  
“Slept well, I hope?” Ignis was leaning against the table where we kept the ingredients and utensils, but he walked over to me and offered me some coffee.  
I grinned at the sight of the delicious Ebony.  
“You shouldn’t have let me sleep so much” I mumbled as I gladly accepted the mug, wondering in the delightful scent. “It’s late”  
Absently looking up to the sky and taking note of the high position of the sun, I knew I overslept.  
“You were exhausted” Ignis argued, calmly walking back to the spot next to the table.  
“Don’t get used to it, though” Gladiolus mumbled, only to change his stern tone into a teasing one. As per usual. “But you looked so cute curled up in your sleeping bag… Last night you were all affectionate and adorable”  
I fixed my eyes in my coffee mug, too mortified when I remembered what I did and said while I was so sleepy. Resting my head on Prompto’s shoulder and letting him walk me into the tent, calling him a ‘nerd’… Especially, I grimaced at the distant memory of hugging Ignis’ arm once he came to check on me during the night.  
“Aw, she’s blushing” Prompto uttered lowly, probably to himself.  
Gladiolus reluctantly stood up, fondly placing a big hand on my shoulder.  
"Now that you're up, we should wake Prince Charmless up too"  
I choked in my coffee at the loving term of endearment, mentally taking note of it to use it against him if necessary. Ignis was about to come over and check that I was okay, but stopped himself when he noticed I was smiling.  
"Prince Charmless..." I repeated in amusement, watching Gladiolus as he went into the tent.  
“When are we leaving, Iggy?” Prompto excitedly asked, broadly smiling as he bounced up in the spot. Was he always so lively and spry? It was quite impressive.  
“As soon as Noct wakes up”  
“It should take a while then”  
“Where are we going?” I asked, taking a big sip of the exquisite Ebony.  
The slightly bitter taste was delightful, as well as the warmth and the caffeine that instantly woke me up.  
“We’re getting the Regalia back!” Prompto’s voice went high-pitched, he was definitely enthused.  
“Indeed” Ignis separated himself from the table and stood next to us. “Cindy contacted us not long ago, she said we can pay her a visit in Hammerhead to retrieve the car, it’s already fixed”  
“Lovely, I’m too tired still to keep on walking instead of moving in the car” Despite all the hours of sleep I got, my body was obviously trying to tell me that I needed a bit more rest.  
“I can’t wait!” The blond jumped to his feet next to me, fidgeting like a child.  
I stared at him, not really knowing if I should find his puerile attitude to be endearing or just disappointing. He was supposed to be my same age.  
“For the car or for the girl?” Gladiolus’ deep voice asked all of a sudden.  
He had startled us, but Prompto actually jolted up and squeaked loudly. I had to suppress a laugh, even if I ended up covering my mouth not to openly grin.  
“I’m sure Prompto’s interest is merely on the car” Ignis replied, a harmless sarcastic comment.  
“I, uh…” The aforesaid was flushing bright red, so he whipped his head toward the tent. “Where’s Noct?”  
“Right here” Came the prince’s sleepy voice just as he exited the tent, yawning still.  
“Let’s head on out, shall we?” The royal advisor said as soon as he noticed him.  
We all stood up and prepared to start walking to Hammerhead. Luckily, it wasn’t too far away.  
However, as soon as I stood up straight, my body complained. I uttered a genuine groan of pain when my legs had to support my weight again. Every single muscle of my body hurt. Every. Single. One.  
Not only my legs, but also my back, my arms, my stomach, my neck, my hips… everything! Surely all the walking, running, fighting and standing under the sun took its toll on me.  
“What’s wrong?!” Prompto’s face of excitement drastically changed into one of concern when he heard me cry out.  
“Nothing” I refused to dwell on my soreness, and to show weakness for that matter. “I feel alright”  
“This one is not used to the fighting life” Gladiolus guessed, watching how I softly grimaced as I stretched myself very slowly.  
“I could use a few more hours of sleep” I grinded my teeth and ignored the dull pain as I began walking with them.  
“You can always nap in the car!” Prompto suggested to cheer me up.  
“That’s definitely what I’m gonna do” Noctis stated confidently.  
“For a change, huh?” His friend teased him, nudging him softly.  
“You, missy” Gladiolus lightly placed a strong arm over my shoulders. “Need to do some training”  
“Why would you say that?” I sarcastically asked him. “Just because it feels like my demise, that doesn’t imply yesterday was too much fighting for me!”  
I glanced over at Ignis, wary of his opinion on my sarcasm again. This time it amused him, since it wasn’t hurting anyone. He smiled softly at my words.  
“Tonight we camp again, and tomorrow I’m gonna train with you” Gladiolus assured, determined. “First thing in the morning”  
“Camp again?” Prompto whined, overhearing our conversation despite having one of his own with Prince Noctis. “Aw! I really hope we get to sleep in a bed!”  
Even though his whining was irritating, I agreed with him. There was so much we could do with our sleeping bags and the tent. 

 

I spent most of our way to Hammerhead chatting with Gladiolus. He insisted on giving me some useful tips to improve my form, reminding me of our training sessions back in Lucis. Some were useful, but we resolved that despite it all, the only thing that I was truly missing was practice. My body would get used to it only with time. Even if some of his tips were useful and I tried to keep them safe in my memory.  
“We’re almost there!” Prince Noctis announced, just as we could see Hammerhead not far from us.  
For many more minutes we walked in silence, being driven by the strong desire to get to our destination. To finally retrieve our beloved Regalia that would carry us again.  
The heavy silence was only broken when the sunshine of the group piped up.  
“Dying of thirst here!” Prompto heaved tiredly, lazily dragging himself, dramatically for comical purposes. “I’ll see you guys in a moment, go on without me! And go say hi to Cindy for me!”  
“I could use a bite right now too” Gladio friendly shoved the blond as he followed after him to the diner. I concealed a little laugh when the smaller boy nearly fell to the ground because of it.  
“We should get ourselves some curatives for battle” I suggested, thinking it to be a smart idea.  
“I will see to it” Ignis nodded, agreeing with me.  
“I’ll go see Cindy” Prince Noctis carelessly said.  
“Why don’t you go with Noct, Alexandria?” My friend asked me before he went over to the shop.  
By the way he did, it made me feel like even he had realized about our enmity even if I still tried to hide it. Honestly, I couldn’t blame him for his attempt at making us like each other.  
I rolled my eyes when I thought no one could see me and reluctantly followed after Prince Noctis. We spotted Cindy outside the garage and so we marched on forwards.  
“Good day, Cindy” I politely said as we approached her.  
The girl turned around to see us and dedicated us a dazzling smile.  
“Howdy, y’all!”  
“How was your da-“  
“Is it fixed?” Noctis interrupted me, too bothered by my manners, even if he could definitely learn some himself.  
“Sure is!” She replied calmly, with that cheerful attitude that reminded me of Prompto. “Y’all better take care of her now, or Paw Paw will get real mad”  
“It’s okay to drive it now, right?” The prince crossed his arms coolly. “I might get behind the wheel myself”  
I did not like the idea of the reckless spoiled prince driving, especially not when someone as responsible as Ignis Scientia was supposed to do all the driving. To be fair, I wasn’t quite fond of the concept of Prompto driving again either.  
“Go ‘head!” Cindy nodded with enthusiasm, motioning over to the car.  
I had no idea an inanimate object like it was a car could be missed so dearly. But it felt exhilarating to know we didn’t have to walk so much again, enduring the sun and the heat, that we could just relax and cruise in that beautiful and expensive ride.  
“She’s back!” Prompto excitedly ran towards us, casually dropping an arm on his friend’s shoulder. “We should all take a picture with her!”  
Jittery and excited, the blond took his camera out and gave it to Cindy.  
Noctis motioned for Gladiolus and Ignis to get closer, to which they gladly obliged. I looked over to Prompto as I positioned myself in front of the car, waiting until he was done giving her directions.  
I couldn’t pinpoint whether he was so excited and jittery over having an excuse to get closer to Cindy or to have our car back. Perhaps it was a bit of both.  
I looked over my shoulder to Ignis and Gladio posing at both sides of the car just in time to hear Prompto standing next to me and plopping down on the floor.  
Since the prince was sitting down too, I decided to do so as well. I sat down between Noctis and Prompto and looked at the camera.  
I smiled a little when the blond boy at my left opened his arms in a triumphant gesture, so I thought I should strike a pose for a change.  
I held two fingers up, trying to look cute, and showcased my best smile for the camera. As soon as the clicking of the photo being taken sounded and the flash shone into our eyes, Prompto jumped to his feet and went over to retrieve his camera.  
I stood up and brushed my tight black trousers, suddenly feeling slightly awkward because of the picture. I resolved to just get in the car, supposing we were to ride off immediately, and wait there.  
Besides, that would give me the opportunity to sit in the middle of the back seat instead of being stuck on one end next to Prince Noctis. Even if it would be quite a tight squeeze with Gladiolus on the other side.  
“Haha!” Prompto enthusiastically took his place in the passenger’s seat, bouncing in the spot. “This is awesome!”  
“May I took a look at the picture, Prompto?” I asked him, seeing as he still held the camera.  
“Sure!” He quickly pressed a few buttons to display the photo we had just taken before passing the camera over to me.  
It was an endearing image, the five of us around the car that kept us together and moved us forward in our journey. Even I, not usually photogenic, looked quite good in that photo. Although Ignis and Gladio behind us were definitely more elegant.  
Prince Noctis next to me seemed to have a classy stance as well, despite his smirk. Prompto just looked adorably goofy.  
“It’s lovely” I commented as I handed him his camera back. “I would really like a copy of it”  
“You got it!” The boy slightly turned around in the seat to look at me. “I’ll give you one as soon as I print them, promise!”  
Suddenly, our friends got into the car as well. Only that, to my surprise, Ignis and Gladiolus sat at either side of me. Prince Noctis sat at the front. Noctis was driving. He was actually driving.  
“I thought Noct could go for a little test drive” Ignis commented as he got comfortable in the seat to my left.  
“There aren’t any seatbelts, are there?” I whispered to Gladiolus, subtly leaning into his side.  
“Nope” He laughed lowly.  
“Alright” Noctis said as he started the engine.  
I just prayed to the Gods that he wasn’t as much of an awful driver as I imagined. 

 

Ten minutes into the ride and I was getting sleepy. We were silent for the most part, except for the friendly banter and the small comments that mostly Prompto and Ignis made.  
I absently looked over to Gladiolus to my right, who was immersed in a book. I never quite pictured him as an avid reader, but it was a pleasant surprise.  
Too amused, however, I smiled. The idea that he might be reading a romantic novel was hysterical, although it was probably the drowsiness messing with my brain.  
I yawned, trying to block any noise, and closed my eyes. Prince Noctis had told us that we needed to make a stop before reaching Galdin Quay in order to make a delivery that Cindy had asked us to do.  
Wondering whether I would get enough rest, I tried to fall asleep. I heard Ignis letting out a small chuckle in my direction, probably finding endearing that I was trying to take a nap. I hoped he didn’t compare me to the prince because of it.  
To my surprise, I felt a heavy arm casually falling over me. Gladiolus had no problem in letting me use him as a pillow, and I was too comfortable not to comply. I leaned my head on his shoulder, managing a small thank you in appreciation for his attentive gesture, and dozed off. 

 

I awoke soon after. Not much had changed: the sun remained at the same spot in the sky, Noctis and Prompto were chatting with Ignis, and Gladiolus kept reading his book.  
In fact, Gladiolus kept allowing me to use him as a pillow. I looked up at him and watched how he calmly read, not being bothered by me at all.  
It was odd, but also endearing that he had no problem in engaging in such an intimate gesture like putting his arm over my shoulders. But I enjoyed it.  
“Mornin’” He just said, his amber eyes still focused on the pages.  
“Do you feel more rested now?” Ignis took interest in me as well.  
“Actually, I do” I gently shoved myself away from Gladiolus and stretched my arms. “Although it feels like I didn’t sleep much”  
“Merely around twenty minutes” Ignis looked at his watch. “Just enough”  
“Longwythe Rest Area” Noctis announced as he proceeded to park. “This is it”  
“Perfect timing” I said under my breath, to myself.  
As soon as Prince Noctis parked the car, we all got out and stretched our legs. Riding the Regalia was comfortable and practical, but it could be quite harmful when sitting still for too long.  
While he went over to speak to the motel manager who was supposed to take the package that Cindy loaded in the trunk of the car, I leaned against the side of it.  
I yawned openly and heard a sound that I was starting to get familiar with by then.  
“Prompto!” I complained, turning to him knowing he had taken a picture.  
For a moment he hid behind his camera, but then he showed his face and put an innocent expression.  
“What?” He uttered, doe eyes wide open. “It’s a good photo!”  
I didn’t really know if he was just being goofy or if his avid photographer side thought it was a natural and spontaneous image, but I chuckled nonetheless. In fact, I heard Ignis laughing subtly next to me too. It was rare to hear him laugh, so I grinned wider when Prompto achieved it.  
“Let me see it” Gladiolus told Prompto, already laughing picturing it.  
The aforesaid lent him the camera and retrieved it as the burly man laughed heartedly.  
I was slightly embarrassed about the picture, but it was nice to see everybody having such a nice time.  
“Gotta sit tight” Noctis came back with us, impatiently crossing his arms over his chest. “They’ll get it in a moment”  
I didn’t move from the spot, I just let my gaze wander around the environment. In doing so, I suddenly gasped at the sight of something that absolutely made my day.  
A dog.  
I energetically tapped the closest person to me –who happened to be the bubbly blond –and pointed him the puppy when he locked eyes with me, confused.  
Just then he barked, causing the other three to turn around with curiosity.  
“I never knew you liked animals so much, Alexandria” Gladiolus was staring at me too.  
“I, um…” Clearing my throat to regain my dignity, I tried to shrug it off. “Dogs are adorable”  
“Umbra!” Prince Noctis kneeled down in a second to pet the black furred dog. With beautiful orange eyes and gray chest, it was a beautiful and adorable animal.  
That was right! It had been a long time since I last saw him, but it was one of the dogs that Lady Lunafreya and Prince Noctis used to communicate with one another. The other one being Pryna, that one with white fur.  
“Bringin’ us stuff” Prompto slightly leaned forward to baby talk the doggy. “Atta boy!”  
“That dog can really track a scent”  
“Certainly ‘nose’ how to find us”  
While the blond was still distracted with Umbra, Gladiolus and I looked at Ignis for his terrible pun. Despite the fact that he seemed very proud about it. When his green eyes met mine, I raised an eyebrow. His only response was to curl up the corner of his lips ever so lightly.  
Seeing as Noctis was too busy with the notebook from his soon to be wife –I wondered if they wrote love letters to each other or just ordinary messages –I went over to pet the dog himself. I allowed myself to do it, unable to hold back the urge.  
The prince eyed me warily and stuck the notebook to his chest, not really wanting me to read it. I averted my glance and played with the dog instead.  
“Aw, he likes you!” Prompto cooed cutely to me.  
“Alexandria is quite the dog lover” Ignis whispered to him, however loud enough for me to hear him. Presumably deliberately.  
I looked down to the dog, but smiled nonetheless when I thought they couldn’t see me. 

 

It started to get dark while we carried on our way in the road.  
We had stocked up in potions once again –never too many curatives –and decided to camp for the night. I was slightly tired, also because we had done more hunts to earn some more money, but I was not nearly as exhausted as the day before. Surely the short nap in the Regalia helped.  
After the delicious dinner our personal chef prepared –Ignis outdid himself, his drumsticks were even better than his rice balls –we just passed the time before going to sleep.  
I sat at the edge of the elevation we had camped in, just like the other time, and observed the beautiful scenery. The sunset was due, and I always enjoyed watching them. I was fascinated with the beautiful colors of the sunset softly drawing across the horizon.  
The clouds gathering orange and pink shades as the sky slowly turned darker, the bright sun lazily hiding as its yellow form faded. The wind also felt freeing and refreshing even if slightly cold, caressing my face and making my hair fly into the air. It felt peaceful to be surrounded by nature –at least when the light still kept daemons at bay –and knowing my friends were right behind me, chatting and joking as they prepared dinner.  
I smiled at the thought, being content with how things were working out. Even though I had been so full of doubts and concerns about our journey at the beginning. It had been silly, I had nothing to worry about.  
“Enjoying the view?” A gruff voice got me out of my daydream.  
Gladiolus then plopped down next to me, letting his legs hang off the cliff like mine were.  
“It is definitely worth watching” I looked at him briefly before returning my gaze to the sunset.  
“How’re you holding up?”  
“Just fine”  
“You sure?”  
I was forced to glance at him again when he insisted. He sounded almost worried.  
“Is there a reason why you’re asking?” His eyes left the sunset as well just to lock with mine. “Did Ignis tell you to come check on me?”  
“Nah” Gladiolus grinned a little, holding my stare. “Just wanna make sure you feel comfortable”  
“Why wouldn’t I be?”  
“You’re the only girl in the group, and besides… you’re not as close as we are”  
“I’m sorry, but I believe Prompto isn’t either”  
“Why are you here alone then?”  
With his words, I finally understood what was happening. Ignis was worried that I wanted to be alone.  
Usually, when I isolated myself it meant I was anxious. I used to do it back in Lucis whenever I tried to decide what was the best decision for our kingdom, what was the best way to give advice to our king because he valued my opinion so much.  
I usually had the need to be surrounded by people to avoid being alone with my thoughts unless I truly needed to be. Ignis knew that my loneliness was a clear sign that I was overwhelmed and needed some space, to get away from all my duties back with King Regis. It really was. But once outside of that environment, the pressure had started to fade away. Most of it.  
That was why Ignis thought it was best to casually ask Gladiolus to come chat with me not to summon attention upon me, not to alarm Noctis and Prompto.  
“I promise, Gladiolus” I chuckled a little when he rolled his eyes sassily because of how I addressed him. “There is nothing wrong with me, I merely wanted to admire the view in peace. You both know how much I love these natural phenomena”  
Gladiolus nodded, probably being reminded of the time I insisted of bringing them with me to watch a lunar eclipse. But to be honest, they did enjoy it just as much as I did.  
“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?” Gently, he bumped his shoulder into mine.  
I noticed that he was all about those affectionate gestures, and I didn’t really mind them that much.  
“I wouldn’t dare” Clumsily, I emulated the shoulder bump. Even though he didn’t move an inch when I did it and Gladiolus made me totter a tad.  
The man let out a guffaw of laughter that echoed all around us and suddenly stuck me in a headlock. I squeaked in surprise, being it the last thing I expected him to do.  
My head rested against his ribs as his strong arm softly wrapped around my neck, playfully shaking me around and rubbing my hair with his other hand.  
“Stop it!” I struggled even though I had nothing to do against his brute strength. My hands did push against him in a futile attempt to get rid of his grip.  
“Whatcha gonna do? Tell Iggy on me?”  
“No need to, he’ll come save me!”  
Indeed, the aforesaid announced his presence by politely coughing. I was positive that he would be watching our interaction and would have the need to stop Gladiolus’ horseplay as soon as he saw it.  
I knew that man too well.  
“We should all get some rest now” He said in a manner-of-fact way, just as his friend let go of me. “We need to wake up early in the morning”  
“Pleasure talking to you, kid” Gladiolus held my arm and effortlessly pulled me to my feet.  
“Likewise, ‘big guy’” I joked, using a term Prompto often called him.  
He just laughed some more and headed back to the tent, were only the campfire lightened the dark night. Prince Noctis and Prompto were probably inside already.  
“Is everything alright then, Alexandria?” Ignis placed a hand on my back –a fond gesture that secretly meant to remind me how much he cared about me –and walked with me to the tent.  
“Never better” I honestly said, being engulfed by a delightful feeling of euphoria that I hoped lasted forever.  
We sweetly smiled at each other and got into the tent, where we prepared to get some sleep. Ignis lied down, took his glasses off and closed his eyes.  
I took a moment to analyze who I should lie down next to. Gladiolus was discarded, because he was extremely warm –it was enough that I refused to use my sleeping bag just because of the heat I woke up in –not to mention his size that took most of his adjacent space.  
The prince was lean and much smaller, but he stirred around a lot and would surely wake me up many times. Besides, I didn’t fancy accidentally cuddling closer to him in my sleep.  
I just sat down between Ignis and Prompto, even if the first’s legs were so long because of his tall stature and I was forced to shrink myself because of it.  
I resolved to lie over my side, facing the blond. He was the smallest and probably the most tranquil sleeper out of all of them. On top of all, he made himself small in his little personal bubble while the other were sprawled out around the tent.  
Trying to take as much space as I could to get comfortable, I shifted closer to him.  
I closed my eyes and heaved a deep breath of satisfaction, being lulled to sleep by the sound of their calm breathing and the wind gently howling outside.  
The first full day of the journey was officially done. I could not wait to see what our second day had in store for us.


	4. Galdin Quay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four boys and Alexandria continue their journey, finally making it to Galdin Quay to take a boat to Altissia. However, something happens that distracts them from their destination.

The awful noise of the alarm clock cruelly dragged me away from a beautiful happy dream I didn’t remember. All I knew was that I woke up with a smile plastered on my lips.  
I tiredly opened my eyes to find that my nose was nuzzled against something soft and warm. A shoulder.  
I panicked slightly, embarrassed, when I realized my fear came true – I had cuddled them in my sleep. I had snuggled closer to Prompto, probably seeking his warmth during the brisk night.  
Hoping Ignis was still sleeping, I hurried to scoot away from him. Luckily, Prompto and the other three were fast asleep. When I turned around to see Ignis, however, I saw him completely awake, already sitting up. And staring at me with something that looked a lot like a smug smile. But certainly it couldn’t be, not drawn in his mouth.  
Convinced that I was blushing, I snapped the phone away from his gloved hands and placed it on the tent floor to hopefully wake Gladiolus and Prompto up. And hopefully, to forget about my cuddling incident.  
With the sound of the alarm, they both stirred in their sleep until they eventually opened their eyes, being lazy and not really wanting to get up at first. The prince, on the other hand, just turned around and got back to sleep.  
“Iggy” Gladiolus’ sleepy voice was even deeper than usual. “Wake Sleeping Beauty up, will ya?”  
“Hm… mornin’” Prompto sat up and looked at us with just one eye open.  
I sat up too and stretched my arms and my back, since they felt sore. I missed a good comfortable and soft bed.  
The silence settled for a moment, just to make room for the beautiful sound of the birds chirping outside.  
“Noct” Ignis was trying to gently shake him awake, but the prince wouldn’t oblige.  
I rubbed my eyes and tried to push the drowsiness away. Taking a look around to see my friends, I noticed that Prompto was trying to fix his hair and Gladiolus was sitting up as well, stretching his big and muscular arms.  
“Rise and shine” Ignis insisted in a futile attempt to catch the prince’s attention.  
Noctis was obviously a heavy sleeper and a lazy waker and our friend was being too gentle with him.  
“C’mon!” Gladiolus noticed this too and vigorously patted his back. “Or we’re leaving without you”  
Both Ignis and Gladiolus left the tent, probably in an attempt to reinforce their threat. Or should I say, their bluff.  
I watched the prince as he unwillingly sat up too. I wondered why he seemed so tired, and remember how exhausted and worn-out his father, King Regis, usually was. Being the royals of Lucis implied many duties and responsibilities, one of which was to use their own strengths to hold up the wall that protected the kingdom. The power of the kings, I believe it was called. That surely drained them from their energies.  
“Prince Noctis” I greeted him, looking at him over my shoulder. The boy just let out a grunt of displease and dragged himself out of the tent.  
I glanced at Prompto, silently asking him what I did wrong. The blond gave me a wide eyed glance but didn’t say anything.  
“He hates me” I mumbled with a sigh.  
“He doesn’t hate you!” Prompto chuckled cheerfully.  
I wondered how he was so bubbly early in the morning, especially after sleeping in the hard ground inside a tent in the middle of a deserted land.  
“He does!”  
“He just hates being called ‘Prince Noctis’, y’know?”  
“Does he?”  
“Yeah!” He grinned, calmly crossing his arms over his chest. “He’s just a regular guy, you should treat him as such”  
That left me in a reflective mood. Perhaps the reason why Noctis was always so moody around me was because he thought I was condescending towards him. Honestly, I probably was, but solely because he was our prince after all.  
I did wonder if he would change his attitude towards me if I stopped calling him prince. Perhaps if I treated him like a friend instead of like my future king he would be more at ease.  
Prompto casually poked me in the ribs and took his camera out, probably trying to remedy my reflective state.  
“Wanna see the pictures I took yesterday?”  
“Shouldn’t we get going?”  
“Nah, it’s still gonna take a while for Noct to really wake up”  
“I guess we could indulge in that privilege then”  
The blond chuckled in response, obliging. I scooted closer to him and the first photo that appeared was the one of the Regalia again. The next picture was one of Umbra, and it made me aw. I loved dogs so much, and Umbra was such an adorable puppy.  
“Aw! I miss that dog!” I cooed, wishing I could have a plushie that resembled him. Not that I would want them to know, though. So I cleared my throat and shrugged. “Quite devoted to be delivering their messages”  
“Right” Prompto smiled, definitely amused by my unexpected reaction. “How ‘bout this one?”  
Ignis, stylish as always. I could never understand how he was always so classy and photogenic.  
“I think it’s humanly impossible for that man to have a bad photograph”  
“I know!”  
The next one was one of me, surprisingly. I stood at the edge of the ledge, staring at the wonderful sunset in awe, eyes filled with wonder and peacefulness. I was smiling in the picture, an expression of pure bliss accompanying the grin.  
“Why did you take these again?” I knew Prompto intended to document our journey by taking so many pictures, but that one wasn’t truly crucial. “I mean, these in particular”  
“Uh… I take pictures of everything that catches my eye” We looked at each other at the same time and locked eyes. He averted his immediately.  
“So did I catch your eye?” I raised an eyebrow, flattered yet also curious.  
“You smile to yourself when you think no one is watching” Prompto defended himself, chuckling nervously.  
I found it endearing that he felt the urge to take such a picture of me. It was definitely a good photo, and he had a photographer eye, but… What was so interesting for him to be taking a picture of me in the sunset, smiling to myself?  
I stared at him fondly and when he turned and noticed I was, he averted his eyes again and blushed. I smiled to myself in response.  
Prompto was like an annoying little brother, always being hyper and excited. One felt the urge to tell him off and ask him to be quiet and sit still constantly, but found he was too tiny and adorable to ever be able to do it.  
“I’m… gonna show them too” He told me in a rush to break the awkward silence. “They haven’t seen them yet”  
“Of course-” I couldn’t even finish my sentence, for he was already exiting the tent.  
“Guys! Wanna watch my photos?” He said to all three.  
“Sure!” Noctis replied with a kind smile.  
I followed after the blond, received by the bright sunlight and the delicate breeze.  
A few raindrops fell in my head even if it was barely cloudy. But I wasn’t truly bothered by it as it wasn’t a heavy rain.  
“Aw, it’s raining!” Prompto pouted, looking up at the sky with resignation. “It’s gonna ruin my hair!”  
“Chocobo butt” Noctis mumbled as he took the camera and swiped through the photos.  
“My hair does not look like a chocobo’s butt!” His best friend whined, annoyed.  
“It does look like chocobo…” I opined, but stopped myself when I noticed how upset he seemed as he glared at me, pursing his lips in an annoyed pout. I changed the direction of my sentence not to offend him. “Fur…”  
Prompto’s hair honestly reminded me of a chocobo, even though I had never seen one other than in photographs. But I pictured their fur was just like that, and also the same color.  
“It looks stylish” I added to cheer him up.  
“Cool photos” Noctis said to his friend, giving the camera back.  
“Hey, Alexandria!” Gladiolus’ voice called me much to my relief.  
I gladly went to meet him and escape the violent situation at the same time.  
“Yes?” I looked up at him, attentive. I could feel Ignis’ eyes on us.  
“Let’s go training” The big man just said.  
I glanced at Ignis, seeking his opinion. He just shrugged, and even that simple gesture was graceful coming from him.  
“You thought I forgot, huh” Gladiolus placed an arm over my shoulders and made me walk with him.  
I merely resigned myself to follow, hanging my head low in defeat.

 

I warmed up with Gladiolus, watching how he stretched his limbs and how he got ready for training. It made me wonder if it would be like our usual training sessions: exhausting sparring turns in which we attacked and defended with our swords, parrying and displaying our best strategies.  
“Before we start” My friend finally broke the silence, making a pause.  
“Yes?”  
“I don’t even think I need to tell you this, but I’m going to anyway”  
“What is it?” His grave tone troubled me a little.  
“You know you can talk to us, always, if you’re feeling worried, sad, overwhelmed or…” Gladiolus struggled with the words. He was never the emotional type despite his kind heart, which was as big as his muscles. “I mean…”  
“I know” I interrupted him, dedicating him a thankful smile. “That is why I didn’t, Gladiolus-“  
“Gladio” He corrected me, his sweet smile shifting into a smug one.  
“Because I was feeling perfectly okay and-” I wanted to emphasize that there was nothing wrong with me so none of them would worry.  
“Gladio” He cut me off again, smugly crossing his arms over his bare chest. “I can do this all day”  
“As I was saying…” I tried to resume, but he interrupted me once more.  
“It’s Gladio”  
“Gladiolus!” I complained, irritated.  
“Gladio!!”  
“Fine, Gladio!!”  
“Let’s start the training, shall we?” Gladiolus… I mean, Gladio… Was certainly a people’s person, but also quite enjoyed teasing his friends too.  
“Alright” I held my hand up to summon my sword, but I stopped myself when he shook his head.  
“You won’t be needing that”  
“But I thought you said we were going to train…”  
“We are, but you don’t need that kinda training” There was a mischievous glint in his amber eyes that left me puzzled. “You need to improve your stamina”  
I dreaded what that could mean. Especially since I had seen him make Prince Noctis run because of that very same reason. It was probably one of the few things I had in common with him: I despised running.  
“Is it necessary?” I argued, trying to avoid such training at any cost.  
“Absolutely necessary” Gladiolus said calmly, still grinning. “Do you need a motivation?”  
“Well, I-“ Before I could finish my sentence, he had wrapped me in a head lock.  
His strong arm held me by the neck, sticking my head next to his torso. I gasped in utter shock at first, until his free hand messed up my hair and his knuckles rubbed against my skull. Then I just screamt in outrage.  
Without saying anything, he just let me go and started running. He knew I would go after him. Indeed, I started running, angrily shouting his name as I tried to think about what I would do to him once I caught up with him. If I ever did, that was.  
Gladiolus was a big man, but he was incredibly fast for his size.  
I realized how right he was about my endurance when I had to stop and put my hands in my knees to catch my breath and rest.

 

“Heyaz!” Prompto cheerfully waved at us as we got back to camp.  
I just picked up a bottle of water and threw myself on the ground, too sore even if my heavy fall just worsened my pain. The next day it would be even worse.  
I emptied half the bottle in one big gulp until I felt like my dry throat was relieved. Then I gasped for air, waiting until my heart rate got back to normal.  
“You okay?” The blond asked me, leaning forward to look at me.  
“Yeah” I just nodded, pausing to catch my breath since it came in irregular pants. “Remind me… to never train with him again”  
His concerned expression softened until it acquired a hint of amusement to go along with his chuckle.  
“Now that they’re back, Noct” Ignis turned to the prince. “Shall we leave for Galdin Quay?”  
“Sure” The aforesaid stood up from his spot next to Prompto. “Let’s go”  
They quickly gathered the tent and all the tools we used to camp and the five of us walked together to the car, all maintaining a lively chat except for me.  
“Same time tomorrow, Alexandria?” Gladiolus teased me, purposely dropping his heavy arm on my shoulders.  
“Not a chance” I shook my head vehemently, making all four of them laugh at my negative.  
I smiled in spite of myself and just resigned to sit in the car. I felt blessed as I rested in the soft and comfortable back seat of the Regalia. Even if I was between the man that had tortured me with the training and the spoiled prince that hated me. 

 

The smell of salt in the air, the pleasant humid breeze, the warm sunlight falling on my face and caressing my skin. Such a peaceful and serene vibe to it. I loved Galdin Quay so far.  
I took a few seconds to rejoice in that feeling that the scenery gave me and let out a sigh that got rid of the remnants of the nerves that I carried everywhere and every moment during our journey.  
The waves washed out on the shores, where tables and chairs had been put for people to rest and have a drink. The palm trees adorned the entire place, giving it a slightly tropical feel to it. In the distance, resting over a platform that floated in the water, was a construction that surely had to be a restaurant or some other kind of touristic attraction. The white fluffy clouds in the background just made it look even prettier.  
“Look at this place!” Prompto’s voice exclaimed in admiration and excitement as a lean arm fell over my shoulders. “Say cheese!”  
Before I knew it, there was a camera pointing at my face as I turned around, but I didn’t mind that much. Even though he sometimes irritated me, his enthusiasm and liveliness were refreshing.  
We both posed for the photo with the restaurant and the beautiful view behind us. Prompto smiled widely –judging by the chuckle that sounded right next to my ear –and I did a peace sign since that was the first pose I thought of.  
The flash announced that the picture had been taken, so the blond turned the camera around so we could see the picture. It displayed in the little screen, even if my eyes were adjusting from the bright light of the flash still.  
“Aw, that’s a good one!” Prompto friendly shook my shoulders. “I didn’t have any pictures with you”  
I looked at him, finding his behavior endearing yet oddly clingy. It felt like, lately, he made an effort to approach me more often. Even if he was probably just trying to be nice and befriend me, which I appreciated.  
As he looked at me, Prompto scrunched up his nose and squinted his eyes, which glinted with the bright sunlight that fell over them. I realized he was expecting an answer, a comment to see if I approved of the picture.  
“It is really good” I nodded, showing him a small smile. “Your photos are fantastic, Prompto”  
“Hehe” He laughed, a bit flustered, as he blushed. “Thanks! Glad you like ‘em”  
“Kids!” Gladiolus called us, waving at us. “Over here!”  
The blond ran ahead, hiding behind his camera as he stopped to take pictures on the way to reunite with the rest.  
I walked down a short trail of stairs that led to the sandy shore, having to hold back the urge to sit down and have a respite in the sunlight or just take a bath. Merely dipping my bare feet in the salty water or feeling the sand under my toes would be enough for me.  
But instead we headed for a platform that stood to the side, over the water, much like the one that led to the restaurant. With the slight difference that this one led nowhere.  
“There’s a fishing spot there, Noct” Ignis pointed out, actually encouraging him.  
Noctis seemed to be quite determined anyway as he walked to the end of the platform and summoned his fishing rod.  
Instead of getting on the boat and casting off towards Altissia like we were supposed to, we had to wait for our dear prince to go fishing. I rolled my eyes. Of course the prince had to stop to do whatever he wanted, even if it was something as stupid and unnecessary as it was fishing.  
Seeing as the rest were complying too, I sat at the edge in silence, at least taking the time to admire the relaxing sight and sound of the water. I lied down, resting my back against the wooden platform, and found that Ignis’ green eyes were piercing me. In a disapproving way as well.  
“Alexandria” His tone was grave and stern. “A word, please?”  
I concealed a scoff as I nimbly stood up –despite the fact that my muscles reminded me of my morning workout with Gladiolus –and went with Ignis to listen to whatever lectures he would give me.  
“What is it?”  
“You should work things out with Noct”  
I opened my mouth in disbelief, wondering what gave it away. I had tried being secretive about it, although Ignis surely knew me too well. Besides, he was attentive and realized in spite of it all. Ignis always knew everything.  
“I didn’t do anything! Haven’t said a word!” I complained, looking away in an attempt to shake off the feeling that overcame me. I suddenly felt childish and immature, like a child being told off by their parent. And more when I wanted to laugh at the thought that Ignis was definitely like a mother sometimes.  
“If you’re to come with us in this journey, you need to get on with him” His tone implied that he wasn’t telling me off, he was just trying to call out a truce.  
“And what can I do about it? I don’t think he likes me very much” It was an excuse, because the truth was I never made an effort to befriend him either.  
“Perhaps go talk to him” Ignis crossed his arms over his chest, calm and collected. “I’m sure everything can be arranged with a tad of communication”  
“If you think it will help” I shrugged, averting my eyes because his were piercing me.  
We paused, but his stare didn’t falter. I resolved to reciprocate the glance when I noticed his demanding attitude.  
“You don’t expect me to do it right now, do you?” I asked him, dreading to face the prince at that very moment.  
“Whenever you think convenient” That was a definite but polite yes.  
“Anything else, Ignis?” I complied and tried to appear serene and meek.  
“Actually, yes” His tone softened as he lay a hand in my upper arm. “This is a delightful place, try to relax and enjoy it”  
It felt like we had just spoken about two very contradicting statements. How was I supposed to enjoy myself in that beautiful place if I had to try and get along with someone I had an enmity with ever since we met?  
By the victorious yells coming from Prompto and Gladiolus, we knew Noctis had a bite and was successful in his task. Ignis and I exchanged a last gaze before I headed over to the prince.  
The sooner the better.  
“Prince Noctis” I called him, unable to refrain from using my sarcastic voice.  
Gladiolus walked past us to join Ignis, but Prompto was oblivious enough to stand by our side and listen to the conversation.  
“What now?” The prince turned around, hanging his head to the side in sign of resignation and frustration. At least, his moody response scared Prompto away as he not so subtly excused himself and jogged to go with Ignis and Gladiolus.  
“Should we start things over?” I thought that would be the best way to address the subject, taking in consideration how far back we went.  
“Why? Got a problem with me, Alexandria?” There was something in the way he pronounced my name that let me know he was mocking me.  
“I just thought we should get along” I did my best not to be sarcastic again. “Since we’re stuck together on this journey”  
“Whatever” He rolled his eyes sassily and kept on walking as tough nothing had happened.  
I should have known it would be useless. 

 

At least the tense feeling in the air was gone once we arrived to the restaurant. We were all chatting as we entered, being greeted by a waiter. Until I noticed how Prompto hurriedly positioned himself behind Gladiolus. There was something wrong.  
“I’m afraid you’re out of luck” A mysterious man said, talking to us out of the blue.  
He had disheveled red hair that was mainly hidden by a messy hat. His orangish eyes looked at us with superiority and had a strange elegancy to them, just like his whole persona. His clothes were flamboyant despite their dark color, and they looked expensive.  
“Are we?” Noctis challenged him calmly.  
“The boats that bring you here” The man explained briefly.  
“What about ‘em?” Prompto dared to say.  
“They’ll not take you forth”  
“What’s your story?” Gladio budged, wanting to know what he was on about.  
“I’m an impatient traveler” The man said as he kept on walking. “Ready to turn ship”  
We all observed him as he faced his back to us, and I was quite positive that all of us were thinking the same thing. Who was that man? Was he mad? Why did he talk to us like he knew us? And like he knew something we ignored?  
I wondered if I was the only one that distrusted him. There was something about him…  
After a brief moment of silence, the man kept talking.  
“The ceasefire’s getting us nowhere” He said with his posh accent, somewhat similar to Ignis’ except for the fact that the man’s was filled with an obvious superiority complex and great arrogance.  
“Wh-“ I uttered, being so shocked by his words that I couldn’t really voice my outrage.  
Was that man agreeing with violence? Was he saying that peace was useless?  
He suddenly turned around and, with a chuckle, tossed something towards Noctis. All I could see was a glint of something silver shining under the sunlight. Before it hit the prince in the face, however, Gladiolus caught it easily with one hand. I craned my neck to see what it was as soon as he opened his fist to reveal it. It was small and circular and looked like a coin.  
I glanced at Noctis, just to see him frowning and throwing the man a death glare.  
“What’s this?” Gladiolus said to him. “Some sort of souvenir?”  
I heard Prompto gasping, but when I looked at him he seemed excited.  
“They make those?!” That time I nearly smacked him across the head. How could someone be so gullible and innocent? That mysterious man was obviously up to something, and I believed he was a liar and a tyrant. Yet Prompto was too innocent to believe so himself, surely trusting that everyone was inherently good.  
“What? No!” Noctis replied to his friend, offended that the blond believed it. Another rare occasion in which I agreed with the prince.  
“Consider it your allowance” The man motioned over to the coin in Gladiolus’ hand.  
I sneakily glanced at Ignis as he watched the scene, noticing how quiet he was. That was odd, he surely was secretly judging the man like myself. Alert and ready to intervene.  
“Huh?” Prompto mumbled, not understanding.  
“Yeah?” Gladiolus, cocky as usual, stepped up. “And who’s allowing us?”  
“A man of no consequence” He said, shrugging before he left for good.  
“Yeah, right” Noctis scoffed bitterly. At least it was good to see that our dear prince was no fool.  
Ignis finally made a sound, something between a grunt and a sigh. He looked at me and we interchanged a quick understanding glance. However, we carried on doing what we were doing, chatting as usual and ready to maybe have a bite at that extraordinary place.

 

The next twenty-four hours were tiring and rough.  
After our encounter with that strange man, we confirmed that he was well informed: there were no ships leaving from Galdin Quay at the moment. And at the port, we were blackmailed by a reporter called Dino that had us go get some unique gemstones in exchange for getting our boat tickets. We didn’t trust him, honestly, but he was our best opportunity to finally cast off.  
After that, not only did we have to face an enormous and dangerous dormant winged creature. Of course, having to put up with the prince’s moods and with Prompto’s whining. If barely getting out alive of that quest wasn’t bad enough, we had to camp again because we couldn’t convince Ignis to spend some of our money in getting a room for the night.  
So when I woke up in the tent again, sore and tired from the little sleep, I was certainly in a bad mood. Only to confront Dino about our boat tickets and find that we wouldn’t be able to leave until the next day.  
At least Ignis was so tired that he thought getting a room wasn’t a bad idea after all despite his initial desire to save money. Lying down in an actual soft bed put a smile to my face for the first time that day –apart from the adorable cat that we saw and fed on the way to the restaurant –and I fell into a well-deserved and happy sleep.

 

The morning, however, wasn’t as cheerful as I expected.  
Perhaps it was the cloudy sky and the broody environment, but I felt a heavy weight on my stomach as I sat down next to Gladio in one of the comfortable arm chairs of the room. Noctis had just woken up and wondered where Specs was.  
Soon enough, the man himself arrived. As soon as I saw Ignis’ face the second he came through the door, I knew. Something horrible had happened, I could tell. His eyes seemed a bit red and puffy, which was definitely a bad sign. Ignis never cried.  
“Ignis?” I stood up in alarm, fearing the news he brought us.  
When his eyes fell over Noctis, my glance was directed to him as well. It had something to do with him, and my heart was shrinking in anticipation.  
“What’s that look for?” The boy asked him because of his stare.  
“It’s in all the papers” Ignis handed Gladiolus a piece taken from newspapers.  
Preoccupied, I got closer to the big man and read what he was holding in his hands. My hands flew to my mouth as I tried in vain to hold back the gasp that escaped my lips. Alarmed by my reaction, Prompto quickly got closer to read it himself.  
“Insomnia… falls?” I didn’t understand how he managed to say those words aloud. Speaking those words made it more real, which was precisely why I couldn’t utter them myself.  
But it couldn’t be, our home couldn’t be destroyed! I glanced at Ignis, trying to confirm the news. He merely nodded at me, solemn and grief-stricken.  
The world seemed to be spinning around me, I felt unstable and shaky. Hence I feebly plopped down in one of the arm chairs again. I was suddenly locked within myself, conscious only of my thoughts and my fear, of that unpleasant feeling in my stomach and the lack of oxygen in my lungs.  
It couldn’t be true. That wasn’t happening. It had to be a mistake. Insomnia hadn’t fallen. Our home couldn’t be destroyed!!  
I blinked repeatedly, trying to get back to reality to see if my friends had something to say. To hopefully hear Ignis saying that it was just a warning and everyone was safe, including the city. That it was just a stupid rumor and nothing but a lie.  
“There was an attack” I heard him saying. “The Imperial army has taken the Crown City”  
I sobbed unwillingly, with a desperate need to get that weight off my chest, to breathe again. To get rid of the tight lump in my throat and the downheartedness in my heart.  
I looked up again, just in time to hear Gladiolus utter the most heart-breaking words of them all. Even more heartbreaking than ‘Insomnia falls’.  
“The King was found… dead…”  
That was too much for me to take. Before I could stop to think or calm down, I had stood up in a hurry and exited the room.  
I didn’t make it too far, however, as my trembling body gave up under my own weight and I limply fell to the ground into a sitting position. I needed some time to take it all in, to wrap my head around the idea that it was truly happening.  
I needed to be alone, I needed to think and organize my feelings.  
I lost track of time until the four men walked out the room, wearing matching glum expressions as they dragged themselves around. I forced myself to stand to my feet and follow them as Gladiolus and Prompto eyed me in silence. Ignis and Noctis refused to look at me.  
Grief had different manifestations in different people.  
“We’re going back” Prompto just said to me.  
There was no trace of his usual upbeat tone. No words accompanied by chuckles or adorable smiles. No happy glint in his eyes.  
Gladio kept walking, only taking a second to look at me over his shoulder. His expression was stern and tough, but there was also pain in his eyes beneath it all.  
I walked with Prompto at the back of the group in an eerie silence. No matter how irritating he could be sometimes, I would have given anything to hear him whine or joke around. To hear the boys’ silly banter and playful teasing and horseplay.  
That would mean that everything was alright, that we weren’t going back to our home to see with our own eyes the alleged destruction. But it didn’t. No one was speaking, no one was laughing. There was only room for sadness and sorrow.  
It started raining as we got in the car. Very fitting, as we all felt equally taciturn and gloomy just like the weather.  
I remained silent as I took my place in the back seat, right between the Royal Shield and the prince who had just become king. The boy who had just lost his father.


	5. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is still trying to let the bad news sink in. Meanwhile, after a conversation with Noctis, Alexandria is hit with a terrible realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panic attacks warning!!!

I knew I had no right to try and suddenly be kind towards him after all those years of annoyed glances and talking back to the other. I knew that even if I did, my support wouldn’t give him back everything that he had lost in just one second.  
Yet I tried to rest my head on Noctis’ shoulder nonetheless. I wanted to let him know that I cared. I should have seen it coming when he angrily shrugged away from me. I hung my head low and sighed sadly.  
At first the only sounds audible inside the car were the sound of shaky sighs and downcast breaths. Until a comment led to another, just to be fueled by Noctis’ bitterness and anger.   
I had the feeling like I had paused my life and the world was going on without me, not worrying whether I would catch up or not. It felt like a movie, because I didn’t have the strength to actually interact with my surroundings, especially since my friends didn’t talk to me either. I doubted they remembered I was sitting in the car too.   
I moved like an automaton, acting by instinct and not truly thinking what I was doing. My body moved on its own as we got out of the car and we fought the Imperials that got in our way. Ignis had to hold me by the waist and get me off harm’s way when I was too dazed to realize I was about to be hit, and he’d thrown me into Gladiolus’ arms so he’d keep me safe. I wished I could regain control of myself so I’d stop being a burden, but the shock was too great.   
My legs carried me as I ran with them once we defeated the Imperials, but I wasn’t truly aware that I had sent the order to my brain to move them. I finally got ahold of myself when we stopped walking and stood at the ledge, watching the smoke in the distance. The smoke left of the destruction of our city. Of our home.  
Prompto’s phone blared the news from the radio. I wanted to hear it, but the sound felt strident to my sensitive ears and bewildered mind. Even the pitter-patter of the rain bothered me slightly.   
“…We’ve now received word” The radio voice was saying. “That Crown Prince Noctis and the Oracle Lady Lunafreya have also been pronounced dead”   
Surprisingly, that brought some sort of comfort to me. Noctis was standing right in front of me, he wasn’t dead. It gave me hope that maybe the king and Lady Lunafreya were still alive and well.  
I slightly turned to look at Prompto’s phone, wanting to gather all my attention on the voice from it. The boy, however, stirred around uncomfortable with the news.  
“Keep it on” Gladiolus commanded, noticing his hesitancy.   
The blond clumsily dropped the phone to the floor. I felt bad for him, knowing what must be going through his head. He didn’t want his friend to listen to that, to worsen his grief.   
“Don’t bother!” The prince shouted angrily.  
I frowned at the sight of a heartbroken Noctis, even if he hid it under a layer of fury. We all had lost many things back in Insomnia, including our families and our homes. But Noctis had lost so much more. If it was true that King Regis was dead, that made his son the new king. His heir was to take his place, and it was a far too great responsibility for him. Especially because of his father’s absence.  
I stood silent, weakly hanging my head low as I let the rain soak me to the bone. I didn’t know how to feel.  
Imperial ships suddenly flew above us, the loud noise of the engines causing the ground to quake under our feet as they passed by. I shivered at the feeling, but I was positive that it wasn’t only because of it. It was the hatred that ran through my veins, the vengeful feeling that made me close my hands in fists until it hurt.  
I hated the Empire. And hatred was such a strong word that I had never wanted to use it before, not even for those people I was most in bad terms with. But the Empire had lied, they had betrayed us and taken everything from us. They were filth.   
I hated the Empire and everything it stood for, I hated it and whatever and whomever had to do with it. I hated it with a burning passion that would carry on forever.   
“I hate those bastards” I felt tears of anger burning in my eyes. “And everything and anything that has to do with them”   
I exchanged glares with all of them. Except for Noctis, who was too busy talking with Cor on the phone. Perhaps he would have some answers.   
I still focused on my friends, hoping to find some solace in their presence. Ignis seemed incredibly sad, and Prompto was just completely crestfallen. Even Gladiolus, with his usual tough exterior, was obviously devastated.   
As soon as Noctis hung up, I opened my mouth to ask him what Cor said.  
“What did the Marshall have to say?” Ignis beat me to it.  
“Says he’d be… in Hammerhead” Noctis replied in a low voice.  
“And the king?” Gladio asked cautiously.  
Noctis’ silence spoke for itself. King Regis was dead.  
A sob escaped my throat, so I bit hard on my lip to restrain myself.   
He was more than just our king. He was a kind soul, a good person, a fair ruler and almost… a friend.   
I focused on not detaching myself again once the horrible truth settled. Once I confirmed it was all real.  
I placed a hand on the prince’s –technically he was now the king but… he would always be Prince Noctis to me –shoulder to remind him he wasn’t alone on this.   
The five of us didn’t move from the spot for a while. We just stood there in silence, trying to get over ourselves as the grief threatened with taking over our hearts. Ignis was the first one to take a step. As he headed for the Regalia without a word, Gladiolus followed quietly. Prompto looked over his shoulder at Noctis seeing as he didn’t come along, but left him some time alone anyway.   
“N-Noctis” I called him before he could walk away, giving it a second try.   
He reluctantly stopped walking upon hearing his name. He visibly sighed, his eyes glued to the ground.   
“I’m… terribly sorry that this happened” I mumbled, doing my best to choose the most fitting words and express my emotions and to bring him any sort of comfort. “I’m terribly sorry for everything that you’ve lost and-”   
He just held one hand up, asking me to stop talking. I understood that he didn’t want to hear it, I shouldn’t be speaking and dwelling on his pain.   
“But I…” I gulped, needing to say something else before completely obeying his petition. “I just want to let you know that you have all of us still. Not only Gladio and Ignis and Prompto but… me too. No matter what”   
In response to my words, he slowly looked up at me. The raindrops slid down his dark tufts of hair and fell over his face when he did. Like tears.  
I expected him to say something, but he didn’t. Neither did he move, but at least he wasn’t pushing me away again.   
Perhaps I was going too far, maybe I was tempting fate, but I was determined. I walked over to him and urgently gave him a hug. I imagined he would appreciate one. So I leaned my body against his and locked my arms behind his back in an attempt to make him feel loved and whole.  
At first he stood there, still as a statue, not reacting. Then he let out a tremulous breath and slowly relaxed into it. To my surprise, his arms found their way to hug me back.  
I wanted to start crying, but I resolved to stay strong for him. I was afraid he would break down if he saw me crying. I just wanted to comfort him, not push him to the edge.   
He softly broke away and locked his eyes with mine. His gaze was grave, but I knew it was his way of saying ‘thank you’ without using any words nor even moving. I just nodded in appreciation. 

 

In the car I was too concentrated in holding my tears back to part take in the conversation. It felt forced and dismal in any case. I told myself that at least this time I hadn’t completely given into the pain and I had gotten ahold out of myself.   
I just kept my eyes glued on the outside, on the scenery that we passed by and that I absently watched through the window. The rain still resonated against the glass and against the roof of the car, almost like a reminder that we should be sad. Like we could forget it so easily…   
I lost myself in that image, erasing anything about my surroundings except for the landscape. I didn’t know how long I was staring through the window for, yet something was abruptly dragging me from my trance.  
“Hey” Gladiolus’ deep voice called me.   
When I looked up, I realized we had stopped, and he was staring at me. I felt more eyes on me, so when I turned in that direction I noticed Prompto was watching too. He seemed worried.   
“We’re here?” I stupidly asked, my throat feeling dry.  
“Hammerhead” He nodded, offering a hand for me to take. I took it and he helped me out of the car. We walked together with the rest to talk with Cindy and see if Cor was waiting for us.   
As the five of us stood together again, watching how the girl walked our direction, I caught a glimpse of Ignis staring at me. I locked eyes with him, hoping to hear some wise words of encouragement. But he was quiet, he just sent me his affection through a loving and preoccupied glance. I quietly leaned into him as a sign of support and fondness too.   
“Glad y’all made it” Cindy came to us, bearing a grave and sympathetic tone. “No weather for drivin’, that’s for sure”   
“Our thanks”   
“Where’s Cor?”   
“Left to see to business, and left y’all a message with Paw-Paw”  
Perhaps it was the gloominess, but that time I didn’t felt jealous of Cindy. She was soft and kind, no wonder Prompto liked her so much. They were both golden and bright like sunshine. They were similar, and would make a good couple.   
I shook my head a little. I didn’t even know what I was thinking, my brain felt too cloudy, too foggy, too… confused. I was just trying to think of something trivial, something to divert myself from my current situation.   
“You boys go ahead” I found myself saying once I realized they were going to go talk to Cid at the garage. “I’ll meet you in a moment”   
“Are you alright?” Ignis stopped dead in his tracks, being motherly again.  
“Yes, I just need to be alone for a moment” I nodded vehemently, even if my eyes wouldn’t meet theirs.  
“Want me to go with you?” Prompto offered shyly.  
“Alone, Prompto” I repeated, irritated. “I want to be alone”   
“Oh” Now I felt bad, perhaps I was too dry in my response. “Sorry”  
They just kept going, and I separated myself from them. I went to a lonely corner and sat there to try and recover from the impact of such awful news. I was too sensitive and I needed to get over it already. Everything had affected me too much.  
I forced myself to start crying, but wouldn’t be able to. I couldn’t even manage to cry to let out all that anxiety. My tears were frozen in my eyes and they wouldn’t shed. I needed to vent yet I couldn’t. I stayed there for a while, trying to let it out once and for all, to no avail. Angry and resigned, I punched the floor I was sitting on. I didn’t release any frustration, but I did earn a dull pain in the side of my hand. Just the perfect addition to the perfect day.   
With a big lump in my throat and the desire to cry still, I stood up and went to reunite with them, finding my efforts useless. They were just saying goodbye to Cid while Cindy prepared the Regalia, cleaning it from the dry raindrops since it had stopped raining at last. I didn’t even realize it did until then. It was also getting dark, the night falling upon us.   
Not saying anything, I stood by them and watched them. I hoped they didn’t ask me if I was alright, because that might just make me break down once and for all. Even if I still needed a good cry, I refused to do so in front of them. I just shouldn’t. I couldn’t.  
The only sign that they had acknowledged my presence was a few glances here and there from Prompto and Ignis.   
“It shouldn’t have been like this” Noctis mumbled, still lingering on his spite.   
“Like Cid said” Ignis spoke up, absently adjusting his glasses like he always did. “Your father knew what he was doing”   
“Yeah, the king was no fool” Gladio agreed, probably trying to make him feel better. “He did see it coming”   
Did the king really know the attack was imminent? He surely was intelligent enough to foresee the Empire’s betrayal. Surely, he could tell the truce was but a lie to trick us.   
When would that nightmare end? It was a terrible feeling, a sad discovery after another. Knowing that the king had fought until the end, that he had sacrificed himself to save us. To save his son.   
We just got in the car, thanking Cindy for her help, and drove off.   
“Where…” I piped up timidly. “Where are we going?”  
“To the tombs, to meet with Cor” Prompto was the one to reply. Again, in times like those I truly missed the optimistic tone to his voice. I could use some positivity at the moment.   
I subtly looked over to the prince –again, king now –and noticed his frown had shifted from angry to soft and melancholic. To my surprise, when he saw me staring, his elbow gently nudged me in the ribs.   
I openly gazed at him, surprised by such gesture. It was almost a friendly display of affection, almost playful too. Coming from him? Towards me?   
“Hey, thanks for what you said back there” His pale blue eyes, however, looked at Prompto and Ignis in the front seat as they discussed something. He wanted to make sure the attention was off us, and since Gladiolus was reading as well, Noctis kept talking. “After hating each other for so long, I didn’t expect you to… you know… You didn’t really have to either”   
I guessed that I was the only one to confront him about it and he was grateful for it.  
The boys were too afraid to upset him even further and preferred to avoid the subject so broadly. I, on the other hand, wanted to let him know how I felt. And that I was willing to set our differences aside to help him, to encourage him and stand by him.   
However, it came out as a surprise that Noctis would actually voice that. He always seemed so indifferent, so emotionless… I had judged him before I truly knew him, and stuck with my own perception of his personality even if it was wrong. I was starting to see just now how tender and kind he could be. Or actually was, had been all along. Even if, so far, I had a few hints to it. Like how sweet he was towards that cat in Galdin Quay, or how much he cared about his friends, and how he actually behaved like an ordinary and fun person when he didn’t feel the weight of the crown crushing him. Surely, it wasn’t easy being royalty either.  
“No need to thank me, I meant what I said” I replied simply.  
“My father was right about you” Noctis smiled at me, and it was actually the first time it wasn’t dripping with mockery or sarcasm. But with actual familiarity and warmth despite the sad hint to it. “You are kind and compassionate, now I get why he was so fond of you”   
I dedicated him a sad smile in return, grateful for his words. Then we both looked away, flustered by the slightly intimate and endearing moment we had just shared. Especially upon thinking it was the first time we had a normal conversation, in which we didn’t mock, insult or cruelly tease the other.  
It was very nice of him to say such things about me. He not only complimented me, but also defended his father even after always arguing with him about me. But for once he had agreed with the king’s thoughts. Noctis had admitted that I was compassionate and kind, which was quite special coming from him and… And…  
I suddenly got a very bitter taste in my throat. My stomach felt queasy and my breath hitched in my throat. All when I was hit with realization.   
Everything made sense now. All the pieces clicked together perfectly, revealing the whole picture of the puzzle to me. Why I was there on the first place, why the king was so adamant about me going with his son. Why I was to leave with his beloved heir along with the only other three people he absolutely trusted to take care of him.   
Noctis had expressed why it was absolutely necessary for me to accompany them. King Regis saw me as a kind and compassionate soul, one that would be there to comfort his son no matter what. Despite our differences, despite Noctis’ pride and despite my own. Despite everything.  
Because he knew our journey would be troublesome and filled with grief. Because I would be there to help Noctis through the loss of his father.   
The king knew he would die.   
My mind was racing with thoughts and fears. It was too much for me.   
“A-Alex?” The prince stammered next to me, leaning forward to take a good look at me.   
Startled by Noctis’ sudden call, Prompto quickly turned in his seat. When his eyes met me, they grew wide and laced with concern.  
“Hey, you okay?” Gladio whispered next to me. “You look pale”   
That definitely gathered Ignis’ attention as well. When I felt all eyes on me I started to panic even more. I couldn’t breathe.   
I was suffocating.  
I leaned forward in the seat, clutching my chest when I felt my heart thumping against my ribcage painfully. I could perfectly be having a heart attack.   
“Oh Gods” Prompto uttered, terrified. “Iggy, stop the car right now!”  
Heeding his petition, our driver violently stepped on the breaks, throwing us all forward a little.   
I looked up, trying to get my mind off everything because overthinking was only making everything worse. The darkness of the sky was harrowing, it made me feel trapped. Just like being stuck in the backseat of the car between Gladio and Noctis. It was claustrophobic to be pinned in the small space that they left me.  
“What is it, darling?” Ignis asked me worriedly.   
I slapped Noctis in the arm, too out of breath to speak, trying to get him to make room for me to get out. I needed to get out, get out of that car. Immediately.   
Luckily, the prince knew what I meant, because he moved as fast as he could and allowed me to leave, opening the door for me.   
As soon as my feet touched the ground, I ran off. I didn’t know where or why, I just knew I had to. It was what I needed.  
I plopped down –half on purpose, half accidentally –in the grass once I was at a prudent distance from them. From the car that made me feel trapped, from everything.  
It was my fault. I could have avoided the attack, but I wasn’t quick enough. I wasn’t smart enough to realize what the king’s plan was. Perhaps I could have done something. I could have told someone and helped, I could have stopped it, I could have avoided it. I could have saved him.  
But I didn’t. I felt stupid, worthless, helpless, lost.   
My whole world was falling apart.   
I cuddled over myself, whimpering as I tried to finally cry. I still couldn’t. I couldn’t cry, I was too stricken and too blocked. I needed to get some air, to shove some oxygen into my lungs because I was suffocating.   
The sound of my rapid heartbeat in my ears, palpitating in my skull, only worsened my nervous condition. My ears were loudly ringing. The darkness still surrounded me. It was threatening to engulf me and swallow me whole. My nyctophobia wasn’t helping. Especially when I was so far away from the headlights of the car and the moon was the only light I saw. I still couldn’t breathe.  
Just in time, a light made its way to me as a pair of boots noisily dashed in my direction.   
“Alex!” Prompto.   
He breathed heavily from his run –he was incredibly fast to have gotten to me so quickly –as he urgently sat down next to me.   
“It’s my fault” I sobbed even if my eyes remained dry. “I should have… I should have…”   
“What’s wrong?” My friend placed a hand in my shoulder and shook me in an attempt to get a proper answer. “Tell me, what’s happening? What’s wrong with you? Please, tell me!”   
“I-I…” I couldn’t articulate any coherent words either.  
Desperate to hold on to something, I clung to Prompto’s black tank top and angrily scrunched the fabric in my hand.   
“What is it?” He urged me, digging his eyes in my face demandingly. “What do you need!”  
I didn’t know! I didn’t know what I needed. All I knew was that I was falling apart, that I was at the verge of breaking. It felt like I was at the edge of a cliff, losing balance and nearly falling to the abyss.   
Maybe I needed a hug, that… that would make me feel a bit better, hopefully.   
I tugged at his shirt, hoping he’d understand because I couldn’t find my voice. All that I managed were strangled sounds and whimpers. I rested my forehead on his collarbone, not knowing what to do to stop whatever was happening to me.   
I needed to stop the pain, the panic, the anxiety, the haunting toxic thoughts.   
“Please tell me!” Prompto was panicking as much as I was, which wasn’t really helping. “T-Talk to me!”  
Helpless and clueless, he engulfed me in a tight hug. At first I sighed in relief, glad that he somehow sensed that it was precisely what I needed. His soothing touch, his comforting embrace, his reassuring presence.  
But when his arms locked around me and forced me against him I felt trapped again. I wanted to squirm away from his touch, hating to feel so imprisoned, but I didn’t have the strength to do it.   
All I managed to do was weakly push my shaky hands to his chest. He must have mistaken it for a call for more affection, because he tightened the embrace even more.  
“Prompto!” Ignis’ stern voice called him.   
The boy looked over his shoulder to him as he jogged to reach us.   
“I… I can’t calm her down” Prompto whined, helpless like a child.   
It was then when I realized I was shaking like a leaf, not only my hands were. It was my whole body, from head to toe.  
“Give her some room to breathe” Finally, Ignis knew what I needed. “You’re just making it worse”   
Immediately, Prompto unwrapped his arms around me. He gasped and scooted away from me, mumbling.   
“I’m-I’m sorry!” The blond frowned sadly. “I was just trying to help, I… I wanted to comfort you, I…”   
I knew he was, I really did. But he hadn’t. Like Ignis said, he had made it all worse. He was so worried that he panicked, consequently making me panic even more.   
Ignis was perfect for my state because I needed someone calm and collected. Even if I was aware that he was worried sick anyway.   
He silently sat down next to me and placed just one arm over my shoulders. The perfect amount of affection that I needed at that moment not to get overwhelmed. Prompto had overdone it. Even if, again, he was trying his best.   
I leaned into Ignis’ torso, hiding my face in his chest and whimpering in there. I tried my best to calm myself, feeling so much safer once he was there with me. His mere presence was calming.   
He also swept my hair to the side and off my face in a tender gesture that brought a sudden warmth to me, almost as tough reminding me he would look after me. That thought comforted me.  
“I’ll just… leave” Prompto muttered, walking away.   
I felt guilty for hurting his feelings, but I would have to worry about it later. And for the fact that Gladiolus and Noctis –who were probably waiting at the car, and probably because Ignis very wisely asked them to –were definitely scared to death as well.   
“It’s alright, Alex” Ignis whispered soothingly, sweetly holding his hand in my upper arm and rubbing small circles with his thumb on my skin. “Everything will be okay, take deep breaths”   
I closed my eyes, focusing on relaxing and taking deep breaths like he was asking me to. Ignis made it seem easy, even though I counted my heartbeats –which regained their usual pace little by little –and it took me several minutes to calm down slightly.   
It helped that my friend would hold me gently and whisper comforting words in my ear. It helped that he was so calm too, and that he showed me how much he cared.   
It reminded me that, in spite of all, I still had him. I still had them. The world wasn’t completely dark, I just needed to survive the night to see the sunlight again.   
“I don’t know what’s happening to me” I confessed, searching advice and counseling.   
“Judging by your symptoms, I would venture to say you had a panic attack of sorts” Ignis sighed, rubbing my arm lovingly. “Luckily, it was quite mild”   
“Mild?” I uttered, outraged. “That was not mild!”   
I looked up at him and met with his emerald eyes. I caught a hint of a smile in them.   
He had said that deliberately to earn a reaction from me, to get me back to my feet. I would have laughed at his ingenious ways, but instead I just let out a shaky sigh.  
“Would you like to tell me what is going through your mind? Do you want to talk about it?” His tone was soft and welcoming.   
I appreciated how thoughtful and kind he was being. I loved Ignis so much, I felt lucky to have him in my life.   
“It’s been a rough day and I was overwhelmed” I was hesitant, wondering if I should tell him everything. “Everything was just… harrowing”   
“I know, and I understand”  
“Do you think…?”  
“What was that, darling?”   
I hadn’t finished talking, I had stopped midsentence because I was afraid. What if he hated me for not speaking up sooner? What if he blamed me for not stopping it? I definitely blamed myself. I wouldn’t bear to lose Ignis, to witness his horrified expression upon learning the truth. I was getting paranoid.  
“You know you can tell me anything, Alexandria”   
“You would despise me if I told you”   
“I could never despise you, darling, not now not ever”   
I analyzed his expression and realized how tender and welcoming it was. I could trust him, I could tell him. Ignis would never hate me. He loved me too much.   
“I should have seen it sooner, Ignis” I averted my eyes as I started speaking. “If I had realized why the king wanted me to come with you… I should have seen the signs, he knew what would happen, but I couldn’t. I was worried about why he wanted me to come, but I never voiced my concerns and… If I told someone… If I had seen his plan, none of this would have happened. It’s my fault, and I could have stopped this and saved everyone so much grief and-”   
“It is not your fault” His voice was severe. “It is nobody’s fault, we didn’t have a way of knowing any of this would occur”   
“But… If I had…”  
“Do not blame yourself. Even if you had, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have been able to stop it”   
I sighed, nodding in acknowledgement. As per usual, Ignis was right. It didn’t make me feel any better about my own sorrow, but at least it dissipated the guilt slightly.   
We sat in silence, snuggled close to the other, for what felt like a very long time. When it started getting cold, however, Ignis decided to put an end to it.   
“Are you feeling alright now? Would you like to go back?” He paused to look at me with soft eyes, but carried on talking after my silence. “You should get some rest, we all should”   
I nodded again, and the both of us proceeded to stand up. Ignis was considerate enough to hold a hand in my waist to keep me steady. I was grateful for his support because my knees felt weak and my legs shook a little still.  
As we took our time to get back to the car, our three friends cautiously walked closer to us. Even if Prompto stood back a bit, timid.  
“You okay?” Noctis asked me, daring to put a hand to my shoulder.  
“Yeah” I just replied. “I’m fine”  
“What happened?” Gladiolus wanted to know.  
“She was feeling unwell, Alexandria apparently got carsick” Ignis lied, definitely in order to protect my privacy.   
He was the best, like the older brother I never had. Always looking after me.   
Once we reached the car, he helped me sit in the back. This time, at the far right corner which Gladio usually occupied. Ignis didn’t let go of me for one second until I was settled in my seat, nice and comfortable.   
“Should I sit here with you? Perhaps Noct should drive?”   
“I’m alright, I promise”   
“Are you sure?”   
“Yes”  
“Very well” Ignis rubbed my arm one more time before taking his place behind the steering wheel.   
I was expecting Gladiolus to sit to my left, but Prompto suddenly whispered something to him that I didn’t catch. The blond then nimbly moved to sit in that very spot. When I sent him a puzzled look, he just flashed me a bright smile. It felt comforting. It also helped that he was a lot smaller than Gladio and the back seat felt more spacious.   
Gladio quietly sat in the front and Noctis took the only place left, next to Prompto in the backseat with us.   
With the corner of my eye, I saw Ignis fixing the rear view mirror –sneaking one more concerned glance in my direction –and starting the car once again.   
“I called Cor” Noctis said as soon as we got back in the road. “We’re meeting him in the tombs tomorrow instead”   
It warmed my heart to see how much he cared, despite his façade. How he had contacted the Marshall and postponed our meeting as soon as he saw I needed some time to get back on my feet.  
“Thank you, Noctis”  
“Need anything, Alexandria?”  
“No, I’m okay”   
An awkward silence settled for several seconds until Gladio turned the radio on to put some music on. Then Ignis said something about a new recipe that started a conversation between them.   
We were all trying our best to leave the past behind.  
“Hey, Alex” It was good to hear that upbeat tone when Prompto called me. “Wanna see some pictures? I took a really good shot of that cute kitty back in Galdin Quay”   
“Not really, but thank you” I didn’t feel like it at the moment, but I appreciated the effort. I was positive that he just wanted to distract me and make me smile.   
“Okay…” Nervously, he nibbled on his bottom lip. “Then can I…?”   
I observed him, curious, watching how he stirred in his seat. Then he finally made up his mind and gently settled his arm over my shoulders. I took notice that he had copied Ignis’ gesture.   
“Is… is this okay? I mean…” He loudly gulped, ready to get his arm off me. “I-I’ll leave you alone if you want. Just say the word and-”   
I smiled, knowing it was his best way of trying to comfort me. He was determined to.  
“It is okay, Prompto” I took his offer and snuggled closer to him.  
He was smaller and leaner than Ignis, but his warmth was equally calming. Prompto was also sweeter, more genuine and natural. I liked that about him.   
“You can sleep if you want, I make a great pillow” He chuckled shyly, which I found adorable. “Or… I don’t know, tell me if you need anything”   
“Thanks” I patted his chest, feeling moved by his attentions as well.   
I briefly looked at Noctis, embarrassed about being so close to Prompto. But he was fast asleep. Poor boy was positively exhausted too.   
“Listen, I’m sorry about before” Prompto piped up after a few seconds of comfortable silence. “I… I didn’t mean to smother you, I… was just trying to help”   
“I know, it’s alright”   
“I’m really sorry, though”   
“Don’t worry about it” I suddenly felt a wave of affection towards him.  
Those moments in which he occasionally irritated me were nothing compared to how caring he could be. It was truly endearing, taking in consideration we hadn’t known each other for too long. It made me realize not only how great he was, but Gladiolus, Noctis and Ignis as well.  
At first it started like a trivial journey on our way to Altissia. We were just five people together who would have fun as we travelled. But they were also my friends. And they had showed me so far that they were much more than that. They would be there for me like I would be for them. My friends weren’t only there to have fun with, but to rely on them for the bad moments as well.   
I leaned into Prompto’s touch, heaving a proper sigh. At last I could breathe a little better. He was oddly comfortable for such a lean person.  
Maybe it was that I was just tired and it felt truly cozy, but I rested my head on his shoulder. I closed my eyes, hoping to get some sleep.   
I felt small and vulnerable like a child, defenseless like a puppy. And a little broken too. But I promised myself it would be the last time to show weakness like that. I had never done so and I didn’t intend to start now. I had recovered from it, I would be alright. I didn’t need altering everyone’s lives or slowing them down.   
Reminding their concerned faces caused me a pang of guilt that I didn’t plan on experiencing again. I promised myself to avoid worrying them like that ever again.  
But in that moment, I felt good. I felt content and decided to embrace it while it lasted.   
I was starting to fall asleep when I realized how loud Gladiolus and Ignis were in the front seat. Even though they were probably speaking at a very normal volume. Yet I felt extremely sensitive to everything still, including the sounds around me.   
I had almost drifted to sleep and didn’t feel lively enough to ask them to keep it down. However, I had an idea that would also help Prompto feel better about himself. Give him a chance to make up for his small slip-up.   
“Prom” I whispered, waiting for him to reply.  
I realized then, that was an adorable term of endearment for him, as simple as it was. Even though I had merely called him that because it was shorter and I didn’t have the strength to speak up.  
My mind also felt fuzzy, and it made me remember about being tired and feeling like I was intoxicated instead. The drowsiness was truly getting to me, or otherwise I wouldn’t have called him that, realizing it was quite informal. It took him a while to realize I was addressing him as well, because he took a minute to reply.  
“Y-Yeah?”   
“Can you tell them to be quieter? I have a headache”   
“Sure thing” Then his voice got a little louder to talk to them. “Hey guys, don’t talk so loud, please? Alex has a headache”   
“My apologies” Ignis mumbled. “We will keep our volume at a minimum”   
“Sorry, kid” Gladiolus said too. “You just try to sleep some”   
I had to smile when their voices turned into whispers. How considerate, the five of them were so lovely.   
“Thank you” I whispered back to Prompto.  
“No problem” He replied in the same tone.   
I then fell into a state between consciousness and slumber. I wasn’t asleep, but I wasn’t completely awake either. It was as tough my body was resting while my anxious mind stayed alert. Whatever the case, it contributed to making me feel better.

 

Once in a hotel, we all went to sleep immediately. As soon as we turned off the lights, I felt the anxiety building up inside of me again. It was as soon as the events of the day came back to me and reminded me of everything that had happened.   
At least I finally got to cry. I vented as silently as I could, but I felt mighty better once I got that weight off my chest, once I started weeping. That lump finally disappeared from my throat and my mind seemed to clear a little, even if it was still filled with weariness and restlessness.  
That night I cried myself to sleep, but I made a mental promise to never bottle my feelings and thoughts up anymore. Not after breaking down like that because of it.


	6. Another Ignis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexandria is starting to discover herself, learning things about her emotions and personality that she didn't know until she was away form the Council. She is conflicted about opening up to her friends as she struggles with her true self.

Word came from Iris, Gladiolus’ younger sister. She stayed in Lestallum along with some other refugees. We decided to visit them as soon as we spoke with Cor in the tombs. We all quickly got ready after a restless sleep and drove off towards the meeting point.   
The previous day felt like a distant dream, like a nightmare that was too real to be just that. However, I was determined to stay strong in adversity. Like I always was. I wouldn’t let those events or memories bring me down again. I had rested and wanted to forget everything that had to do with that delirious chapter in my mind. To be quite honest, I was ashamed upon remembering my breakdown. If it weren’t for it, I would have never worried and scared my friends like that, and I wouldn’t have sheltered myself in Ignis and Prompto like I did. Not that I was ashamed to show them affection, but to show them when I did. In a moment of weakness, during a low moment. It made me feel… guilty.  
I tried my best not to get lost in my thoughts as we headed for the tombs to reunite with Cor at last. Even if the scene in the tombs as Noctis was to gain the Power of Kings was no better than what happened the day before. His pain was more obvious than ever, as was his display of emotions. The new king felt guilty for his father’s sacrifice, he felt lost without him and grieved because of his absence. I would feel angry myself if I were in his skin. Yet it was heartbreaking to witness how much he struggled, how great a burden had been placed on him without him asking. He faced a great responsibility, seeing as he was the new king. Even if, like he had said himself, there truly wasn’t a city to reign anymore.   
Cor had told us about the other thirteen tombs scattered across the country, which held the Power of Kings that Noctis must gather in order to heighten his strength.  
The six of us stood in a circle, bearing an uncomfortable silence.  
“Shall we visit the other tomb then?” Ignis asked us, glancing from Cor to us.   
Seeing as no one replied, I opened my mouth to express my opinion.   
“I…” Once all eyes fell on me, however, it made me feel self-conscious and I fell silent.   
“What was that?” Gladiolus encouraged me.   
“I think we should… earn some more money” The truth behind that statement was that we all needed to get our minds off the main quest, clear our heads a little before we returned. Stronger. Recovered. “It’s just my opinion, but I believe we should be foresighted”   
Ignis was piercing me with his eyes, but I caught a glimpse of pride in them as he did. He was smiling a little as well, which made me think he saw through my trivial thrifty need.   
“I agree, it would be prudent to do so” He replied after a short pause.   
“You can search the tombs whenever you like” Cor commented, not really objecting our plan. “Just remember to do it eventually, it’ll make you stronger”   
Noctis just nodded, not really minding it either. Prompto shrugged too, ready to go along with the plan.   
“We’ll be seeing each other” The Marshall told us, and even if I felt sad to say goodbye to him, it was good to see he understood. “Take care”   
Hence, we proceeded to leave and walk into the open again. We were glad as we were received with the warm sunlight. It was like a ray of hope after all the somberness we went through.   
“Lead the way, Noct” Ignis invited him with a gesture of his hand.   
The prince –king –began walking and we followed his lead in silence. No one dared to speak up at first, until our personal ray of sunshine did.   
“You’re lookin’ better today, Alex” Prompto piped up. “Yesterday you looked pretty much like a zombie”   
I stared at him, taken aback by his comment. He blushed a little and made a grimace of embarrassment, but I found it somewhat amusing. I chuckled because of the unexpected nature of his odd compliment.  
“That is no way to talk to a lady, Prompto” Ignis scolded him.  
“I… It-It was a compliment! I…” The aforesaid mumbled, obviously embarrassed.   
Gladiolus laughed heartedly and put an arm over the blond’s shoulders, messing up his hair playfully.  
“You better apologize” The big man told him. “Tell her how pretty she is”  
“Stop being so silly” I said, smiling in spite of myself. “All of you!”   
I never really had friends before meeting Ignis, and even though I met him and Gladiolus from time to time I had never been teased in such a manner. I wondered if that was what it felt like to have a small group of friends. The playful banter, the affectionate gestures and horseplay. If it was, I could definitely get used to it.   
“You prefer to be called zombie?” Noctis smugly asked, smirking as well.   
“It was just a joke!” Prompto whined as he did his best to escape Gladio’s strong grip. “I-I didn’t mean…”   
“Tell her she’s pretty!”   
“Gladiolus…”  
“Gladio!”   
“I mean… Gladio!”   
“Sh” Ignis shushed us, his body language alerting danger.   
Gladiolus finally let go of Prompto, who fixed his hair with a pout, and we all followed what gathered Ignis’ attention. A group of rhinoceros looking creatures, dualhorns, I believe they were called. Noctis was the first one to approach them, trying to be stealthy as he crouched down slightly. We had seen rewards for hunting down these animals, and so our royal friend was more than prepared to fight them. We soon imitated him and summoned our weapons. As per usual, Prompto’s gun firing startled me and so I distanced myself from him a little. Hadn’t quite gotten used to it yet.   
“Eyes peeled, mouth closed” He said as he nimbly jumped around, simultaneously firing his weapons.   
When another dualhorn came our direction, I got ready to take on the beast. I rolled on the ground with a sideways cartwheel to avoid the attack and then swung my sword toward it. I hit the creature, but it lunged toward me and I wasn’t fast enough to parry it. The horn pushed me and grazed my arm with such force that it threw me backwards into the floor.   
“Woman down!” Prompto told everyone, still battling.   
All their eyes directed towards me, but as Gladiolus was walking closer to me, they focused on the battle.   
“Focus, kid” The King’s Shield said as he rested his sword on his shoulder and offered me a hand.   
“I am!” I complained, taking his hand and being pulled up with great strength.   
I made a face, thinking that perhaps my concentration wasn’t the problem. Perhaps I had believed that I was ready when I wasn’t.   
No matter how much I trained and how skilled I thought I was, the real world was never the same. And I wasn’t as experienced as my friends.  
Seeing I was back to my feet, Gladiolus jogged to help Noctis with the fight. I took a moment to look at my arm and I winced a little at the sight of a nasty bruise.  
It was a superficial wound and it wasn’t bleeding, but the horn had painfully scraped against my skin. Ignis would treat it later, even though it was of no importance.   
Telling myself to focus on the battle, I threw myself towards the beast again. Even if it was slightly distracting to see my comrades all around me.   
Gladiolus was definitely the one that inflicted the most harm. But Ignis elegantly attacked as well, easily parring and evading attacks. Prompto was the fastest, sliding across the ground and jumping around as he fired his arms. Noctis would be the fastest if I counted his warping, which also helped him get high and jump over the enemy as he swung his weapon.   
The latter warped close to me and cut the beast, causing it to growl in pain, before he warped again to approach the other dualhorn. I spun around while swinging my sword so I would hit it repeatedly.   
Then I heard a familiar click followed by a flash of light. I quickly stabbed the animal before I turned around and stared in disbelief. Did Prompto just take a photo in the middle of the battle?!   
My eyes fell on him just in time to witness his fall. He heavily hit the ground, letting out a grunt of pain, and lingered in the position he landed in. He didn’t move.  
“Prompto!” Noctis screamed, finishing one of the dualhorns.   
We both ran to his aid while Ignis and Gladiolus took care of the beasts. We kneeled next to our fallen friend and exchanged a restless glance before we observed the blond.   
“Is Prompto okay?” Gladio shouted restlessly.  
“I-I don’t know!” Noctis replied nervously. “He’s out!”   
I stared at Prompto’s expression, horrified. His brows were furrowed in a pained expression, the corner of his lips tense as well. He looked a bit pale under all that dirt that stained his cheeks and confused with his freckles.   
“He’s breathing” Ignis was suddenly next to us, observing our friend from his standing position. Prompto’s chest did lightly raise and fall with his breathing pattern.  
“Prompto!” I shook him a little, leaning closer to him and shaking more vigorously. “Prom…?”  
The boy stirred and let out a tiny groan. Then his eyes fluttered open, an ocean of blue looking my direction.  
“I like it when you call me Prom…” He mumbled groggily, one hand flying to the back of his head as he winced.  
“You… idiot!” My heart thumped against my chest from the scare. “That was so thoughtless!”   
“Were you taking a selfie, stupid?” Noctis shoved him too, making him wobble as he slowly sat up. “That thing could have killed you!”   
“Yup” Prompto grimaced, shutting his eyes tight, as he rubbed his head. “Lesson learned”   
He observed his hand, holding it up in front of his face. At least there were no traces of blood.  
I let out a big breath and stood up, tensing my fingers as though I was choking someone. Him, I actually wanted to kill him for scaring me like that over something so idiotic.   
“Are you hurt?” Ignis asked him gently, even if he accompanied his words with vexed sigh.  
“Got a killer headache, I hit my head when I fell” Prompto opened his eyes and looked at us. “But I think I’m okay”   
“Look at you two” Gladiolus had just arrived, wiping some sweat off his forehead. “Two of a kind”   
It was true that only Prompto and I had gotten hurt in the fight, but it was different. I wasn’t experienced and he was. His mistake was being stupid and getting hurt because of his negligence.   
“Are you wounded too, Alexandria?” Ignis focused on me as he allowed Noctis to help Prompto up.  
“I’m alright” I reassured him, even if allowing him to hold my arm and take a good look at it. “It scraped me with the horn”   
“It looks harmless” He carefully let go of my arm. “I will bandage it nonetheless”   
“You okay, Alex?” Prompto approached me clumsily.   
“Yes, I am” I couldn’t help but to punch him in the arm, angry.   
“Ow!” He complained, puzzled as to why I did it.   
I just went back to Ignis so he would treat my arm. I needed to calm myself before I could talk to Prompto again.

 

With everyone already patched up and ready, we got on the Regalia and headed for the outpost where they offered the reward for the dualhorns we hunted.  
I quietly sat on the back, absently-mindedly staring at my bandaged arm. I would have to train with Gladiolus more often after all if I was to get better at combat.   
King Regis wanted me to accompany Noctis to be supportive and help him through his journey, but he didn’t have in consideration how I could be a burden for them. I was not a member of the Crownsguard like the rest of them, but merely part of the Council. My advice and wisdom would not help during the combats.   
“Picture time!” Prompto’s voice forcefully dragged me away from my thoughts.  
When I noticed the camera aimed at me, I grouchily scowled at him. He took the photo nonetheless, allegedly hoping it would remedy my mood. It didn’t work, so he directed it towards Noctis instead. The prince, I mean king, did pose. He smirked a little as Prompto took the photo.  
“Prompto, can’t you sit still?” I told him, pushing him softly so he would sit down properly.  
“S-Sorry…” He replied, offended and surprised.   
It wasn’t only that he was so restless that bothered me –or that I was mad at him -, but it was also dangerous. If Ignis happened to make a sudden halt that would cause the blond to lunge forwards, and it would be all the worse if he was sitting on his knees with his back facing the front of the car.   
“Relax” Noctis replied calmly. “You can’t tell Prompto to stop being Prompto”   
“That’s not what I said” I didn’t want him to stop being himself, I just wanted him to sit still.   
Noctis dedicated me a very irritated glance before he rolled his eyes. I supposed it was foolish to assume everything was good between us after just one bonding conversation.   
“Whatever, I’m trying to sleep” He told me, closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest to be comfortable.   
“Great, go to sleep then”  
“Why don’t you call it a truce?” Gladiolus intervened, playing the peacemaker, which was usually Ignis’ role.  
I didn’t say anything, and Prince Noctis merely uttered a low annoyed groan. I supposed the tension we had gone through also contributed to the grumpiness. I realized I was being sulky and that I needed a little longer to get over my mood.   
“I’m sure Alexandria will be back to her usual self soon” Ignis said, reassuringly. “She might get mad quite easily, but her tantrums do not last long”   
“This is not a tantrum!” Even though I was aware that he was being deliberately irritating as well as affectionate, I objected nonetheless.  
“Don’t piss her off even more, Ignis…” Prompto whispered anxiously. Or what he thought was a whisper, since I heard him loud and clear.  
“Yeah, wouldn’t want to anger the beast” Gladiolus scoffed, nudging me a little.  
I just copied Noctis and crossed my arms over my chest, closing my eyes and resting in the backseat. I needed to be silent and compose myself, which I would have time for in that short car ride.

 

The outpost turned out to be Hammerhead, and hence we made a stop there to also eat something at the diner. My mood had greatly improved in that time, to the point that I would occasionally make a comment.   
When we got out of the car, the boys headed directly to the diner. Except for Prompto, who softly held me by the good arm and stopped me from going in myself.   
“Alex, uh…” He shyly rubbed his nape. “You’re… mad at me, aren’t you?”   
“No, I’m not mad” I was just frustrated and worried, yet I refused to tell him about the complexity of my emotions. “I was, but… not anymore”   
“I just… don’t really know what I did, but I don’t like that I upset you” He shrugged, timidly looking away. “So I’m sorry, whatever it was”   
“It’s just…” I sighed, taking a moment to organize my thoughts. “You got hurt”   
“But I’m okay! See?” He opened his arms wide, as though demonstrating he was in one piece. “Just bumped my head a little”   
“I know, but it was irresponsible and… it… frustrated me, I suppose”   
“So you were mad about me getting hurt?” The blond chuckled heartedly. “Are you sure you weren’t just worried?”   
“Noctis was vexed as well” I sternly said, giving him a glare. “He called you stupid”   
“But Noct didn’t make a big deal out of it!”  
I averted my eyes, knowing he was right even though I would never admit it. My silence seemed eloquent enough, however, seeing as he grinned.  
“Sorry anyway, I’ll be more careful next time”   
I dedicated him a sweet smile in appreciation. He didn’t really have to apologize, yet the thought of being in bad terms with me upset him and he did anyway. No trace of any pride or arrogance even though it wasn’t his fault and it wasn’t him who needed to apologize. Prompto was too genuine and precious to be like that, he just wanted to fix the situation no matter what.  
“I should be the one apologizing” I gave in, tilting my head to the side. “My reaction was uncalled for”   
“Don’t even mention it” There was that bright smile unique to him, which promised that everything was and would be okay at all times as long as Prompto smiled like that.  
That said, the blond proceeded to enter the establishment.   
I gingerly placed my hand in the back of his head, analyzing the damage. He tensed up under my touch, startled and clueless. I hesitated as a result, yet confidently committed to the gesture and refused to embarrass myself by pulling away.  
“Does your head hurt?” I asked him, carefully feeling for any lumps.   
“Nah” Prompto shrugged it off. “Got a thick skull”   
I laughed a little in response, not expecting such answer.   
“Yeah, you do” I replied, grinning widely as I walked into the diner.  
A soft upbeat music received us, along with the air conditioner that that caused me to grow aware of the slight heat outside.   
“What kept you?” Ignis asked us both as soon as he noticed our arrival.  
“Death glare contest?” Gladiolus teased us, observing us over his shoulder.   
“I have a feeling that you two made up” Noctis smirked, his eyes darting from Prompto to me.  
“It was silly, really” I was honestly ashamed of being so sulky about the situation. “It’s solved now”   
“You are quite the charmer, Prompto” Gladio patted his back like he did, making him stumble a bit. The comment caused him to violently blush, though, which was adorable.   
“Have you ordered yet?” He tried to get the attention off him by changing the subject.  
“We have” Ignis replied, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “Go ahead and take a seat, we will join you soon enough”   
“Okay” Prompto replied, choosing a table to sit at without waiting for me. I briefly followed him with my gaze before I set my eyes back on the rest of my friends.   
“Back with us, I see” Ignis observed, smiling openly now.   
“Yes” I shrugged one shoulder. “Honestly, I don’t know what came over me”   
With the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a smirk growing in Noctis’ mouth in reaction to my words, but when I looked at him it was gone.   
“How’s your arm, now that you’re speaking to us again?” I couldn’t tell if it was deliberate, but Gladiolus made me feel like a child.   
Although, to be fair, my ‘tantrum’ was slightly childish. It wasn’t like me, or at least I wanted to believe so.   
“It burns a little” I held it up, taking a look at the bandage. “Other than that, it’s alright”   
“Why don’t you go and keep Prompto company?” Noctis intervened, pointing his thumb at our friend sitting alone at the table.   
I shrugged once more and obliged. I did, however, look at them over my shoulder as I approached Prompto’s table.   
He was entertaining himself by looking at the menus as he hummed a tune, swinging his legs in the seat as well. I laughed to myself, thinking he was like a child. My friend just smiled friendly at me as I sat down in the red padded seat in front of him, but didn’t say anything. He carried on what he was doing.   
A loud guffaw of laughter piqued my interest and caused me to look over to our three friends again. I didn’t know what they were talking about, but it was certainly amusing Gladio to a long extent.   
I opened my mouth to question Prompto about it, but our meals arrived and hence they all came over, placing the food on the table. Ignis sat next to me while Noctis and Gladio occupied the seat next to Prompto.   
We took the plates from the trays and served ourselves. They had settled with a simple option. Hamburgers, French fries and sodas. Which was fine by me.   
To be honest, Ignis was always telling me about my diet and how I should eat healthier. Not that I ate fast food every day or that I refused to eat vegetables, but it was great to try Ignis’ delicious and healthy food during our trip.   
“Where are we going next?” Prompto asked with a mouthful of burger.   
“Don’t speak with your mouth full” Gladiolus calmly told him.   
“Lestallum, perhaps” Ignis replied, pausing before he continued eating. “Iris is still there, I’m certain that Gladio would like to see his sister”   
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen her too” Noctis mumbled absently, too busy picking out the lettuce and pickles from his burger to start eating yet. One of the reasons why I thought he was a spoiled brat. Perhaps not as much as I did before, but it was things like those that reminded me of it.   
I decided to let that slip and instead exchanged a glance with Gladiolus, questioning him about his sister and his protégé. He just shook his head, negating any suspicions I could have about Iris and Noctis.   
I always had the feeling they were very close friends and wondered if there was something more to it than that, especially when I saw Iris visiting her brother and interacting with Noctis while she was at it. Perhaps she did have a crush on the royal one, but not quite reciprocated. Noctis might be too busy thinking about Lady Lunafreya.  
I blindly reached out to get the ketchup to put in my hamburger, not really paying attention. However, when my hand was about to wrap around the container, I brushed against something warm and soft. I looked up to see a gloved hand accidentally touching mine. Then my eyes darted in front of me to see Prompto’s eyes looking back at me.  
“S-Sorry!” He stammered awkwardly. “There you go”   
He had reached out to get the ketchup at the same time that I had, but instead, he gave me the ketchup first.  
“Thanks” I told him, even if I was distracted by Noctis’ stare. “What?”   
“Nothing” He replied, even if there was a smug smirk on his lips.  
Was I missing something? Did Noctis know something I did not? Was I missing a secret joke that all of them enjoyed except for me?  
I shook my head and carried on eating, imagining it was a way of his to set my teeth on edge.

 

After claiming our reward, getting our money and eating something, we moved on as we looked for more possible hunts.   
We jogged as we followed Noctis, although he was probably wandering, and kept silent except for the occasional comment.   
“That’s it!” Ignis suddenly exclaimed, making me jolt up in surprise.   
“What!” I shouted, looking around me expecting some more enemies.   
“I’ve come up with a new recipe!”   
“You scared me, Iggy!” Prompto complained, and even if I agreed with him, I didn’t voice my momentarily fright.  
“Apologies”   
“He really loves cooking”   
After Gladiolus’ comment, the silence settled again. I observed Ignis as he pulled a small notebook from his pants’ pocket and quickly scribbled down what I supposed was his new recipe.   
“I want to ride my chocobo all day…” Prompto sang lowly, rhythmically slapping his hands against his legs.   
“Quite the earworm” I grinned, ignoring the fact that now the tune got stuck in my head because of him.  
“Can’t get it out of my head!”   
“Wanna go see some chocobos, Prompto?” Noctis nudged him, grinning at his friend. The boy gasped in utter excitement, taking ahold of his arm to share his eagerness.   
“Can we?” His eyes shone with a spark of hope as he turned to Ignis and Gladiolus. “Pleaaaase?”  
“Noct…” Ignis sighed, knowing that we would have to put up with Prompto’s hyperactive enthusiasm because of him.   
“The kid’s got it bad”   
“There are worse vices, I suppose…”   
“Is that a yes?!”   
I smiled in amusement, thinking that Noctis and Prompto were like siblings who were asking their parents for permission. It was adorable and hysterical.  
“We must continue our journey” Ignis refused sternly, crossing his arms for emphasis.  
“I suggest we vote” Gladiolus knew that way the result would be an astounding yes. “I vote yes”  
“Fair enough” The tawny-haired man accepted, motioning his hand toward me. “Alexandria?”  
“I… wouldn’t mind visiting the chocobo farm”   
“Noct?”   
“Why not?”   
“Ye-he-ah! Majority, woo!” Prompto beamed, friendly placing an arm over my shoulders and his other one over Noctis’.  
“I’m actually excited to see them for the first time” I admitted, shrugging my shoulders slightly.   
“You haven’t seen a chocobo? Ever? Like, not even once?!” I couldn’t tell if he was outraged or excited due to my statement.   
“Not in person”   
“They’re the best, Alex! You’re gonna love ‘em!” Leaving Noctis behind, the blond walked with me as he happily told me about the chocobos. “They’re adorable, okay? I just can’t wait!”  
I smiled, endeared by his contagious cheerful mood. I allowed him to exteriorize his thoughts and how passionate he was about those animals as he went on and on about how cute and great they were. It was great to see him so brisk and to let him share that with us. 

 

Much to our dismay, the chocobo farm was closed due to a great threat scaring and hurting the chocobos. A behemoth called Deadeye that was terrorizing the animals.   
Of course, Prompto turned to Noctis and asked him to help them without needing to say any words at all. And the prince –ugh, I mean king! –was quick to accept the challenge. After all, we were hunters in a way and might be able to help.   
So there we were, stalking a humongous beast that we were supposed to take down. Everything around us was foggy and we tried to remain as silent and stealthy as we could while we gradually gained on it. Visibility was poor thanks to the added difficulty of the night that had fallen upon us as well as the fog that shadowed the moonlight, leaving us only with the dim light from our flashlights.  
Then we realized we had been discovered and it observed us like prey, ready to charge against us and destroy us with its powerful claws.   
“Do execute due caution” Ignis reminded us as we prepared to be attacked.  
A few seconds later, Deadeye jumped down from his higher perspective and made the ground quake beneath us. Then, his mighty roar made us shiver, especially me. I did not feel ready for such confrontation. Despite its enormous size, the behemoth was incredibly fast and agile, I could tell immediately as it moved around.   
Soon, the chaos exploded around me as my friends lunged against the beast. Prompto shooting his guns, Ignis using his daggers, Noctis warping and Gladiolus using his big sword. I took a deep breath as I braced myself before I did the same, running and swinging my sword at full force against the beast, cutting its thick skin.   
“Stay close to me, Alexandria” Ignis briefly looked over his shoulder to me.   
I nodded, appreciating that protective side of him. Clearly, he was aware of my insecurities as well and he wanted to be there to endorse me.   
“Remember the blind spot!” Gladio shouted at us as we fought.   
“I have a bad feeling about this!” I felt clumsy as I tried to approach it, hesitant as Deadeye kept moving, and occasionally swung my sword at it. Even though all I managed to do was roll away from it before it inevitably wielded its claw against me.   
I often had to run away and take a breather as I recovered briefly. I panted heavily, feeling slower and clumsier by the minute. My restless heart also anguished me as it kept resonating in my ears and throbbing in my throat.   
The sight of my friends continuously falling and getting back up, relentless, should have inspired me to charge again stronger. However, it broke my spirits to see them getting hurt even if in a light way.   
Yet I forced myself to go back to support them, time after time, even if I had to distance myself for a brief moment soon after. I was struggling, and feared that I wouldn’t be able to stand a chance against Deadeye. Luckily for me, I had the four of them to back me up. However, I would have wanted to be more prepared. I had no problem taking smaller and weaker creatures, but such a huge beast was beyond my skills.  
It suddenly felt like time had stopped as I noticed Ignis falling with the corner of my eye, defeated by the behemoth’s paw. He was hit. I paused for a few seconds and observed him, but he didn’t immediately get up.  
Oh, no… Not Ignis, not him. I would be completely lost without him. He had to be alright.   
“Ignis!!!” I shouted, immediately running to his aid. “Ignis is down!!”   
My heart resonated in my ears all the more louder as I approached him, even if I seemed to move in slow motion. It only faltered when I saw him moving. He was alive. Even if it was a great relief, it didn’t stop my hands from shaking. I was still deeply concerned and near the brink of hyperventilating.   
I fell on my knees next to him, my eyes frantically searching his body for any signs of blood. Even though the weight of its paw crushing his torso might have broken a few ribs.   
I noticed nothing at first, only that he had lost his glasses in the process.   
“Perhaps I should start wearing contact lenses from now on” Ignis joked to relief the tension.  
I didn’t laugh, even if I wanted to in order to humor him. But I couldn’t bring myself to laugh in those circumstances.  
He, however, clutched his arm and was obviously trying to suppress a pained expression not to worry us. But there was a clear cut in his upper arm that ripped the fabric of his clothes. Under it, the skin had been damaged and blood had started spilling from it. The sight made me light-headed. It only encouraged me to panic even more.  
“Ignis!” Noctis urgently called for him. “You okay?”  
“I’m alright, Noct” He immediately replied, apparently unconcerned.   
“Take care of him, kid!” Gladio shouted at me, absent while he still fought Deadeye. “We’ll finish him off!”  
“Alex!” Prompto shouted at me, and as soon as my head turned in that direction I noticed he had tossed something to me.   
I caught it thanks to my reflexes –otherwise I would have been to agitated and would have dropped it –and opened my hands to reveal a white cloth. Prompto had given me some bandages to heal Ignis. Knowing this, I faced Ignis again and wrapped the bandage around his arm. It took a few tries to tie and secure it, though, as my hands weren’t making the task easy.  
“There is no need to worry, Alexandria” He reassured me, aware of my panicky state even blinded without his glasses. “It is but a scratch”   
I chuckled stupidly at the idea that Ignis, the person who was hurt, was actually trying to console the unharmed one. It always had to be like that with us. Not only because Ignis was such a collected person and I wasn’t, but because it was the first time I faced such situations. I was not a part of the Crownsguard and I felt out of my element. Moreover, being the first time I was away from the Council to throw myself into the uncharted territory that it was adventure added to my apprehensive nature wasn’t a good mixture.   
I heard the beast collapsing and looked over my shoulder to see they had defeated it.   
“Woo!” Prompto uttered. “That was a close one!”   
“How’s Iggy?” Gladio said as the three of them came to check on him.  
“It was merely a small mistake, my glasses fell and I lost concentration for a brief moment” He replied, not really fazed by it all.  
“Here’s your glasses, Specs” Noctis offered them to him, who quickly took them and put them on.   
“Thank you” My closest friend was about to stand up, but I pushed him down to keep him in place.  
“He needs a potion” I demanded with a shaky yet adamant voice.   
“Who has a potion?”  
“Noct?”   
“Not me”  
“Prompto?”  
“I think I have one somewhere…”   
“Quick!”   
The blond rummaged through his pockets in a hurry and his expression lighted up when he found what he was looking for. Then he tossed it to me, to which I reacted quickly.   
I took Ignis’ hand and placed the container over it, he closed his fingers around it and crushed it until a warm greenish light engulfed him. I had started to think I was overreacting, but just then he let out an obvious sigh of relief as his pain subsided.   
“What exactly happened?” Gladio asked us as he supported Ignis by the arm to help him up.   
“I think Iggy was trying to cover Alex and the behemoth knocked his glasses off” Prompto started explaining. “And then Deadeye crushed him with its giant claw”  
“Prompto…” Noctis mumbled under his breath.  
“You were trying to protect me?” I whispered, suddenly feeling queasy.   
“Uh…” Prompto kept talking, even if I wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. “What I meant to say is…”   
“A little too late for that now” Gladiolus scolded him, giving him a glare. The blond made a face, his mouth twitching with guilt.  
“It is my duty to protect not only Noct, but all of you” Ignis replied with dignity.   
After an instant of silence I nodded. I pursed my lips tightly, however.  
“You’re absolutely right” I agreed with him. “I would have done the same thing”   
Of course Ignis got hurt trying to avoid me getting hurt. He was so selfless that he would give up his life to save us if necessary, it was a sacrifice he would willingly make.   
I restrained myself from the sudden urge I had of hugging him, knowing it would be slightly uncomfortable and forced as well as the fact that he wasn’t fond of physical affection.   
“Shall we go back then?” Ignis grunted as he stood up straight. “We all should have some well-deserved rest”  
“Couldn’t agree more” Noctis stretched his arms and yawned openly. “Could use a nap”   
They started marching while I stood back for a brief moment. I needed to take a deep breath and calm myself before I joined them and pretended as though I hadn’t been left scarred to a small extent due to that incident.   
Prompto was the one to slow down and look back at me. I knew Ignis would have too, yet he knew I needed a moment alone.   
I did my best to dedicate my friend a convincing smile, which he reciprocated as he focused his vibrant cobalt eyes back ahead. I reluctantly followed, closing my shaky hands into tight fists and demanding my legs to properly support my weight.

 

When we camped that night, I barely managed to eat anything, even if Ignis was alright and back to normal, completely recovered except for the occasional minor discomfort on his arm. His meal was as delicious as usual, yet my stomach wouldn’t allow me to shove anything into it. It felt queasy and anxious.   
Anxiety had taken over me as I became obsessed with a particular thought that disturbed me. It wasn’t the fact that Ignis got hurt that upset me. It was the idea that I could lose him.  
Him getting injured had opened my eyes and had made me realize that we were carrying out a perilous purpose. We weren’t just going to Altissia anymore, things had changed. We aimed to help Noctis regain his throne, to take revenge against the Empire. That wasn’t an easy task, and certainly not a safe one. And as obvious as it was, it never occurred to me that any of us could get badly hurt. I had taken for granted our skills and felt better knowing we had each other. But we weren’t invincible, none of us. Anyone could die at any given moment, and the idea terrified me deeply. It kept me from carrying out a functioning behavior.  
I excused myself saying I wanted to do some more training of my own. And at first I did, but I soon lost motivation seeing as I couldn’t focus.   
The thought of losing Ignis, or anyone at all, terrified me. Not only that, as it also made me feel guilty. Not only because he had gotten hurt to protect me on the first place. But I was supposed to be serene, keep my mind clear and not panic. That was what made me such a wonderful addition to the Council. But I supposed there was no Council anymore. However, I still felt the weight of my duty crushing me. What help would I be for Noctis if I crumbled so easily?   
Surely, it was childish to be feeling like that. The journey was opening my eyes to that side of myself, to the vulnerable part of me that uncovered the scared little girl within me.  
Ignis did this every day and didn’t seem bothered, even if he had openly told me that I could relax, that I needn’t put myself under that kind of pressure. But I wanted to be like him, I was used to being like him. I had been surrounded by the king and his politicians for so long that I had lost myself along the way. I had been conditioned to behave like that, to hide my emotions and thoughts except for those concerning the future of the kingdom. To remain calm and unfazed even if I wasn’t good at it.  
Surely, with Ignis and Gladiolus being there I had no obligation to carry that weight upon my shoulders anymore. Without King Regis or any politicians surrounding me. Yet I felt like I needed to nonetheless.  
I was tired. I was fed up with having to hide myself, with living life only by the king’s guidelines. I was on that journey to keep an eye on Prince Noctis and make sure I was there for him, and I was determined to heed His Highness’ commands.   
All I needed to do was vent a little, maybe cry for a short period of time to feel better. After that, I should be feeling fine. Even if I thought that after what happened when we found out Insomnia fell would be the last.   
My conscience was reminding me that I could approach Ignis about it, tell him my worries and concerns because deep down he knew even if he didn’t want to address the situation for my sake. Or for the sake of my pride. Yet I didn’t want to burden him with it. Nor to shatter that image of me he had created over the years, of a strong young woman, wise, calm and collected like him.  
Although I was lying to myself. Ignis knew the real me and loved me no matter what.  
“Hey” A soft voice startled me, causing me to stop crying immediately. “Alex?”  
“Prompto” I replied with the most serene voice I could manage.  
“Are you… crying?” He spoke warmly, his tone dripping with concern and empathy. “What’s wrong? Are you still worried?”   
“I…” Heaving a shaky sigh, I considered whether I should tell him or not.   
Truth was, out of everyone, the idea of confessing my inner struggles to Prompto felt the most natural. With Gladiolus, I just didn’t feel comfortable openly talking about my feelings. With Noctis the idea was ridiculous, almost inconceivable even if we were in better terms. And although I trusted Ignis and was close enough to him, I wanted not to worry him, especially since I knew he would take it upon himself.   
But Prompto was… perfect. He would take my feelings in consideration and not judge me or think it was a foolish reason to be troubled. He would hopefully keep our conversation a secret and he might even make me feel better about it.  
“You… You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to” Thinking the silence was a bad sign, he hurried to say something. “I want to help but… if you want to be alone…”   
“It’s not that” Resigning myself and being aware that he knew I had been crying, I wiped my tears and forced a fake chuckle. “I’m not used to talking about these sort of things, that’s all”   
Prompto sent a reassuring smile my way as he sat down next to me, his cobalt blue eyes watching me attentively.   
“I’m all ears if you wanna talk” His upbeat demeanor was back, replacing the concern that made me so uncomfortable. I knew he was doing it for my sake, to try and cheer me up instead of dwelling on whatever was upsetting me. One of the things I liked about Prompto.   
“I just… feel like I’m suffocating, you know?” I sighed to relief the tightness in my chest. “Like I’ve been someone I’m not for too long and it’s too much pressure now”   
I thought back to when we thought Prompto had gotten gravely injured as we fought the dualhorns. I realized I disguised my concern with anger and lack of patience.  
“Why are you someone you’re not?” His interest and curiosity gave me strength to keep on talking about it. It made me feel like it wasn’t so absurd after all, like my anxiety was valid.   
“In order to belong into King Regis’ Council I needed to be serious, correct” As I was speaking those words, I sat up straight as soon as I realized I was hunching forward slightly. “Act politely and gravely, be calm and serene”  
“I see” Prompto uttered lowly, almost sad.   
I just kept talking, wanting to fill the silence but also needing to get rid of all those thoughts that were starting to eat me alive. Those struggles I had been dealing with on my own.  
“When Ignis got hurt, I… didn’t feel like I could show how frightened I truly was, even if I wasn’t in the Council Room anymore”   
“Is this about Ignis?” Prompto guessed shyly. “You do know he didn’t get hurt badly, he’s okay now”  
“No, it’s about…” I clicked my tongue, irritated that he wasn’t understanding what I implied.  
“It’s about you” He corrected himself, making me nod in confirmation. “But that’s silly!”  
I glared gravely at him when he let out a soft chuckle to accompany his words.   
“No! I mean…” My friend began to panic, knowing he had offended me. “What I mean is that you shouldn’t be afraid to be yourself, right?”   
“Exactly… Yet I am”   
“But why? Why do you have to be someone you’re not?”  
“Because it’s my responsibility! All my life I’ve been surrounded by the Council, by the King, by Ignis! I needed to maintain that image to fit in!”  
“So with great power comes great responsibility?” Why did it feel like he had just quoted something?  
“I suppose…” I sighed in defeat. “That’s why I can’t really allow to be myself completely”   
“You’re right” Prompto paused. “How can we be your friends? You’re being yourself? Pf, how dare you! You have to be whoever we want you to be”  
I had to chuckle a little with his exaggerated tone that only meant to let me know he was joking. He was just trying to lighten up the mood, and he somehow did it.   
An immediate grin arrived to his lips when he heard me laugh.  
“Alex, we don’t need another Ignis” The blond placed a reassuring and friendly arm over my shoulders. “We already have him!”   
This time a genuine guffaw of laughter escaped my lips, something in his tone was extremely funny to me. Or perhaps it was the fact that I felt allowed to laugh after so long holding myself back.   
“We do need an Alex, though” As he chuckled, he closed his eyes slightly in an adorable way.  
I looked into his blue eyes as they glanced at me, which I found to be extremely comforting. All of a sudden, the loving and bright look in them helped me take a deep breath after such a long time in which I couldn’t really breathe.   
Prompto made me feel like I was allowed to be myself. I was opening up to him and he didn’t mind, in fact he seemed to feel lucky that I did, that he got to know me better.  
“Thank you, Prompto”   
“Don’t mention it” He smiled at me so widely that his eyes nearly closed, and then he nodded with energy. “Wanna go back? Ignis actually sent me because we should be going to sleep now”   
He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, in the direction where our camp was.  
I just nodded, unable to refrain myself from staring at him in admiration. His behavior was so caring and loving, even if we weren’t close friends. Even if we had met not too long ago and he was the only one out of the group that I didn’t know before we set off, yet we had some sort of special connection, we understood each other.   
He had no obligation to go out of his way to make me feel better either. It was heartwarming to see how much of an effort he made to comfort me when I needed it, even if it could be unpleasant to go through those bad moments with someone. But he didn’t mind, he just wanted to help.   
The blond held his arms up to hug me, but soon put them down again. He had hesitated because he didn’t want to disrupt my boundaries, he knew I wasn’t as much of a physical person as himself. So he awkwardly laughed and scratched the back of his head, turning around.  
He had started walking, imagining I would be following closely. Yet something within me stopped me from doing so as I observed him. A grin took over my lips, and I let out a happy chuckle.   
Perhaps Ignis felt uncomfortable about physical affection, yet I somehow craved it. And I should stop behaving like another Ignis and like myself instead.   
“Prompto” I called him, unaware as to why my heart had suddenly sped up.  
“Yeah?”  
I threw myself to hug him, craving the embrace I didn’t get when he thought twice. Hoping he didn’t mind, I nuzzled my nose on his shoulder and smiled a little.   
Prompto let out a soft giggle, out of surprise and shock. Yet his arms returned the hug nonetheless. They felt warm and welcoming around me and made me feel at ease. I didn’t really know it was all I needed until I experienced the closeness.   
How was it possible that a mere embrace could solve everything so suddenly? Like magic.   
Ever since we left Lucis in this journey, I felt drawn to Prompto. It was irrational and nearly impossible, but it felt like he could see through me. Like our bubbly friend understood who I was even though I acted like someone else. Like he looked into my soul.  
I just gave into his embrace, treasuring the feeling of a true long hug. Something that, oddly enough, I hadn’t experienced in a very long time. I also took the luxury to tighten the hug, taking a small step towards becoming who I truly wanted to be. Who I felt like. Who I was.   
Prompto made me feel comfortable, made me feel like I could be myself around him. Perhaps he would help me spread this attitude until I could be myself around the others. Starting with Ignis.


	7. Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events of past days, the group decide to take a bit of a break and have fun. In the meantime, Alexandria tries to show her true self more openly, even if the pride gets in her way.

Like a child on the morning of Christmas, Prompto was the first one up. He was so excited because we were finally going to interact with chocobos that he woke all of us up.   
I was curious about those creatures myself as I was finally going to meet one in person and hopefully see why everyone adored them so much. Starting with Prompto. Yet the events of last night rushed to my memories, making me feel a certain way. When I woke up I felt a bit… odd. Lost, confused, out of place even. I was determined to change my attitude and be more genuine, but didn’t really know how to do it. Where to start, really.   
Insecurity and apathy threatened to take over me, but I was strangely warmed by a sudden brightness as soon as I opened my eyes. Prompto’s blue eyes shining with eagerness, his wide and excited smile. That somehow was enough to render me in a better mood immediately. I found myself unable to resist his cute and hyper energy.  
“Good morning!” I greeted them, feeling energized and optimistic. Surely, the chat I had with Prompto last night contributed to my positive mood. Not to mention that I got a good night’s sleep for a change, even in the tent. And I was eager to see the chocobos.   
“Someone’s in a good mood” Gladio observed sleepily.   
“Why wouldn’t she be?” Prompto couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “We’re going to see the chocobos!”   
“You’re like children” The other man laughed, sitting up and stretching his arms.   
“Shall we go outside while Noct wakes up?” Ignis gently shook the aforementioned, who merely groaned and stirred a bit.   
“Ignis” I called him, thinking that I should talk to him. It was time to tell him the truth, to admit all the emotions that had been stirring within me and voice all my worries and struggles. I did not like the idea of worrying or burdening him, but I hoped he appreciated my honesty.   
“Yes?”   
“I would like to talk to you”   
“Of course” Ignis placed a gentle hand in my back as we went together to get out of the tent. “Is something troubling you, darling?”   
I smiled a little at the loving term of endearment. He always called me that when he believed I was distraught in order to comfort me. Such a simple and soft gesture yet so effective.   
“Not really” I replied, squinting my eyes at the sudden brightness of the sun. “I just wanted to share something with you”   
“Go on then” He encouraged me, nodding as his eyes fell on me. “I’m listening”   
“I’m…” I chuckled, feeling a bit ridiculous for confessing something he most definitely knew already. Ignis was observant and knew me extremely well, he just preferred to keep quiet about his discoveries, I was sure of it. “I’ve been struggling with certain feelings about myself for quite a while now and I decided the time has arrived to finally tell you”   
“Very well” Indeed, there was a hint of a smirk that gathered on his lips. “Please, continue”   
“Ignis, you’re my best friend, and you’ve always looked after me. I don’t think it is fair to hide such emotions from you, especially since you probably already know”   
His silence spoke for him. He knew.   
The tawny-haired man nodded again, quietly asking me to continue speaking.   
“Ever since we left on this journey, I’ve juggled many emotions: fear, insecurity, nervousness, joy even. And I have felt like I wasn’t allowed to exteriorize them due to all those years back in Lucis, having to appear one way in front of the King and his Council”   
Ignis frowned in concentration, letting me know he was intently listening to my every word. I took a deep breath to confess what pushed me to approach him about it on the first place.   
“Yet recent events changed my mind. Noctis losing his father, us losing our home, you getting hurt… I continuously felt like I couldn’t allow myself to show how frightened or concerned I was because I was supposed to appear calm and confident like yourself, otherwise it would be out of place…”   
I made a pause, which he took as a moment of weakness. Ignis opened his mouth to say something, most definitely calming words that assured I had no obligation to behave like that. I needn’t be like him, nor bottle up my feelings.   
I shook my head at him and he closed his mouth, understanding that he didn’t need to say it. I had realized it on my own, even if it took some more time than it should. Definitely longer than if Ignis had told me himself. Yet it wouldn’t have had the same effect on me, I needed to realize it on my own.  
“When we left I used to think the reason why King Regis asked me to accompany you was because of my addition to the Council. Being the youngest member, I had to meet the expectations and maintain my tranquil yet straight-forward appearance, be for the prince the person I was for the Council. Be stern and serious, stoic. Not show I was amused, or concerned, but to hide ‘unnecessary’ emotions like those”   
“You know the king saw much more in you than merely that, Alexandria” A fond and fatherly smile appeared on Ignis’ mouth. “Otherwise he would have sent any other member of the Council to complete the task”   
“I know” Starting to get mildly emotional, my voice became high-pitched for a brief second. “King Regis believed I was compassionate and kind, straight-forward and honest. That is the reason why he wished that I would endorse his son, to support him when the inevitably unhappy moments arrived”   
His expression shifted from fond and loving to worried and pensive.  
“Even if it hit me hard when I did realize all of this…” I forced myself to say, feeling like the weight was being slowly lifted from my shoulders once I shared it. Ignis’ mouth dropped agape as he understood what my words implied. For an instant, he struggled to speak.   
“Is… Is that why…?” I nodded in response, confirming that my panic attack started because of it, because of the implications of that statement.   
Just then, we heard a light and cheerful giggle. Prompto appeared, dragging an extremely groggy Noctis as he attempted to pass his enthusiasm over to him.   
“However…” I hurried before we dwelled on the subject. ”I’ve realized that I’m not around politicians and royals anymore, I’m surrounded by friends. And my friends appreciate me for who I am, they want me to be myself”   
“That is correct” I could have sworn he was proud of me for that mature conversation we had engaged in. “May I ask how did you arrive to this conclusion?”   
“A friend helped me” My eyes directed to the blond, who was excitedly shaking his best friend at that very moment.  
“I see” Was I hearing things or did Ignis just let out a genuine chuckle? Ignis hardly ever laughed. “What shall we expect from our dear Alexandria Adelaide from now onwards, if I may ask?”   
His playful tone summoned a grin that I didn’t control and that settled on my lips.   
“The true Alexandria” I lifted one eyebrow in a friendly and spirited gesture. “Although it might take some time to completely allow myself to be genuine”   
“That is quite alright” In a rare affectionate sign, Ignis caressed my hair. “We will be patient”   
I felt the urge to hug him, grateful for how understanding and caring he continued to be, always attentive towards me. Yet again, Ignis wasn’t the physical type and I also refused to do it out of embarrassment. Not in front of the boys.  
I was determined to grown into my own person, leave that old attitude behind and stop bottling my feelings. But it would take time, and my pride would get in the way many times.   
“Are you done?” Noctis asked us impatiently, a yawn escaping through his mouth a moment after as he kept on speaking. “Let’s get this over with!”   
“Excuse me” Prompto replied, feeling personally attacked. “You’re going to have the time of your lives and you know it”   
“Let’s not delay it any longer then” Ignis began walking with his elegant and classy posture.  
“Yes, Ignis!” Prompto threw his arms in the air triumphantly. “Woo!”   
“Didn’t realize being the King’s Shield also meant being a babysitter” Gladiolus’ voice said behind me as he gently tapped my back with his hand. I smiled at him as he passed me by, joining our friends in the way back to the car.   
Embracing the peaceful and warm moment, I stood behind for a second. I smiled to myself, feeling fortunate and grateful, before I reunited with them.

 

If I thought Prompto was usually spry and lively, I definitely had not seen him genuinely excited about something. Knowing we were on our way to see some chocobos and finally got to ride them made him immensely happy. His camera wouldn’t stop clicking as he took pictures of everything. It was a good day.   
Noctis drove that time, which meant that we arrived a lot sooner as he sped up. I definitely would choose Ignis as our driver any day, he drove slower and more carefully.   
As I got out of the car, leaving my spot between Ignis and Gladio, an arm dangled over my shoulders and attracted me closer to them.   
“Chocobo day!” Prompto sang as the shutter clicked and the flash illuminated our faces.   
“Go talk to him then” Noctis encouraged him, motioning over to the man in charge of the farm.   
“Woo!” The blond let out as he jogged to speak with the owner. “Chocobos!”   
Prompto was excited as ever, which was saying something. He just ran ahead, unable to contain his excitement.   
“Isn’t he adorable” Noctis joked, watching his friend dashing all over the place as he gathered food to feed the birds beforehand.   
“Someone’s gonna get a great good night’s sleep” Gladio added, making me let out an involuntary guffaw of laughter. Prompto was indeed like a thrilled child inside a candy shop.   
“Let him have his fun” Ignis encouraged the blond, smiling a bit.   
He carried many bags of greens in his arms as he approached the owner, who briefly looked at us before nodding and motioning Prompto to follow him, taking him with the chocobos.  
“Guys!” Prompto called for us, waving one arm in the air.   
I was the first to head his direction, eager to see the chocobos myself since it would be the first time I saw one in person. I wanted to know what all the fuzz was about.   
The three of them followed after me, more calmed, while chatting amongst themselves.   
“Alex” Prompto took my wrist and tugged at it, impatient and exhilarated. “Look at them!”   
I allowed him to take me where all the chocobos were, but I slowed him down a little just as we were getting closer. They were much bigger than I expected.  
Too focused on the birds themselves, Prompto let go of my hand and petted one of them as he absently dropped the bags of food on the floor to have his hands available to pet more.   
“Kweh!” The creature squeaked, startling me. Not expecting them to make a noise, I held onto Prompto’s arm in an instinctive reflex.   
“What…?” The boy stared at me, dumbfounded. “What’s wrong?”   
“N-nothing…” I cleared my throat and tried to appear nonchalant, letting go of him. Even if I subtly kept my distance. How could I not?   
It was a much bigger and taller creature than me, with sharp claws and a beak that probably could hurt someone if they got bitten. I thought they would be tiny and cute, chubby and unintimidating, but instead they seemed very big and slightly scary.   
When the chocobo reached over to Prompto’s hand and stole the food he was offering them, I quietly moved behind the blond and carefully watched the bird over his shoulder.   
“Are you alright?” Ignis softly rested a hand on my shoulder.  
“Of course I am!” I swatted him away, too proud to admit my apprehensiveness.  
“Don’t tell me little Alexandria is scared of chocobos” Gladio chirped, already teasing me even if they just caught up with us.   
Noctis openly laughed at my fear, siding with Gladiolus.   
“This is gold! Prompto, give me your camera!” The prince demanded, holding a hand up.   
He wasn’t joking, but the innocent blond thought he was and shrugged the comment off. I threw Noctis a death glare that didn’t faze him in the slightest.  
“Don’t worry, Alex” The innocent blond said to me, smiling softly. “There’s no need to be afraid!”  
“They’re perfectly harmless” Ignis agreed behind us, nodding with conviction.   
“I am not afraid!” I defended myself, averting my eyes. “I’m just slightly intimidated”   
“Then why don’t you go say hi?” Noctis suggested, smirking evilly, as he pushed me a little.   
“Yeah!” Prompto exclaimed happily. “Then you’ll see how cute they are!”   
“Go ‘head” Gladiolus held me by the waist with firm hands on both sides and pushed me closer to the chocobo that, luckily, stood behind a bar that separated us. I clung onto Prompto’s arm realizing I stood no chances against Gladio’s strength.   
“Hey! My camera!” The boy complained, just as we heard a click and saw a flash of light.   
I turned my head quickly to glare at Noctis, who merely showed me a smirk that shifted into an innocent and angelical smile.   
I could feel all eyes on me as they expectantly waited for me to interact with the chocobo. Almost sensing my fear, it squeaked again, making me get closer to Prompto.   
Our shoulders rested against each other as I sought his familiar and comforting presence.   
“They won’t hurt you, I promise!” He moved his arm around, trying to get me to let go of him. “C’mon, Alex! You can’t be scared of them, they’re adorable!”   
I reluctantly let go of his arm, refusing to give Noctis and Gladiolus the satisfaction of laughing at me. Then I glanced at Prompto, imagining he felt discouraged knowing I was somewhat ruining his special and exhilarating day, so I pouted.   
“Alright, I will try” I surrendered, reaching out with my hand to touch its feathers.   
The chocobo curiously observed me with its black eyes, tilting its head to the side. To be quite honest, there was a certain kindness to them. However, I tensed up more the closer I got to petting its head, but I committed to touching it.   
“Kweh!” The bird squeaked again, making me yelp and forcing me to back my hand up. Gladio and Noctis openly laughed behind me. Even Ignis chuckled under his breath.   
“They’re good, look!” Prompto placed his hand on my wrist with a confidence and determination strange in him. He slowly helped me move my hand closer until it actually rested on top of its head. My fingers sank in its soft fur. I analyzed the bird, searching for any signs of alarm. Instead, the chocobo was closing its eyes in delight like a cat, happy with the affection.   
“Aw!” I uttered lowly, caressing it tenderly.   
“See? I told you!” Prompto chuckled happily. “Aren’t they adorable?”   
“Maybe a little” I admitted, continuing to pet the animal.   
“Now feed him, Alexandria!” Gladio suggested, smugness dripping from his voice.  
“Yes!” Prompto only needed one second to pour some veggies on my hand.  
“No!” I uttered in horror.  
“Camera’s ready” Prince Charmless evilly laughed.   
I made a face of displeasure as I reached out and also subtly leaned on Prompto for comfort. My eyes closed tightly, cringing and embracing for the chocobo to nibble on my palm or for the beak to painfully dig into my skin.   
“We wouldn’t make you do anything dangerous, Alex!” Prompto’s hand wrapped around my wrist again and moved it so my hand was right under its beak.   
To my surprise, its beak merely brushed against my hand as it delicately picked up the food, barely even grazing my palm at all. I laughed in relief, watching how gentle the chocobo was.   
“Wasn’t that bad, was it?” Noctis smirked smugly, having the time of his life, as he went to pet the chocobos himself.   
“No, it was actually quite endearing” I reached out to caress the chocobo’s neck. It was adorable how it let out another soft ‘kweh’ as it kept on eating from my hand.  
“Cool! Now’s the best part!”   
“What do you mean?”   
“Riding the chocobos!”   
Prompto opened the bar that separated us, completely ruining my tranquility. It was one thing to pet them and interact with them, but to actually sit on their backs and have them carry us while they jumped all around seemed like an unsafe idea.   
“You mean we have to ride these things?!” I was back to being horrified by the mere thought of it.  
“They’re called chocobos, Alexandria” Gladiolus said in a fake offended and grave voice.  
“I’m not climbing up them” I sternly said, crossing my arms to reinforce my negative.   
“Why don’t you and Prompto share one?” Noctis suggested, still enjoying himself. “You’ll feel much safer”   
Of course, I would feel safer with the excitable boy who would most likely speed up in his chocobo, make it jump and act crazy with it. Perhaps I should share one with Ignis instead…   
“Yeah, you can ride with me if you want!” However, I couldn’t say no to that adorable face.   
While the rest of the boys went to get their own chocobo –Noctis only left after taking yet another picture of my startled and terrified expression -, Prompto took ahold of the chocobo’s harness and gently tugged at it until the bird approached us.   
Quite easily, my friend jumped up on the saddle and beamed at me from his high perspective. With a reassuring, calm and joyful expression, he offered a hand to me. I nervously nibbled on my lip, contemplating the choice, until I sighed and gave in. I took Prompto’s hand and used his help to sit behind him, supporting myself by leaning on his shoulders until I was settled in the seat. It was slightly cramped with the two of us in the saddle, but I didn’t mind. Being atop the chocobo’s back felt extremely unstable and shaky, however, in a precarious position even if Prompto’s body helped me feel more secure. Being so high up made me slightly queasy as well.  
“Ready?” Ignis confirmed, looking from one to the other.   
“Hell yeah!”  
“Let’s do it”  
“Always ready for this!”   
“I suppose…” I quietly mumbled against Prompto’s back.   
“Onwards!” With Ignis’ call, we all got set to ride.   
As soon as the chocobo started moving, I tightly held onto the back of my friend’s jacket and braced myself. In spite of it all, it wasn’t as terrible as I had pictured it in my mind.   
I nodded to myself, almost enjoying the moment. It wasn’t bad at all.   
“How are you holding up, Alexandria?” Ignis took interest in me.   
“Could be worse”   
“Ye-he-ah!” Prompto celebrated my answer. “She loves it!”   
When the bird jumped up, however, I got startled. My arms flew around the blond’s torso as I desperately sought some sort of stability. I was glad that I wasn’t riding alone, or else I would have probably fallen off.   
Even though I had tried my best not to let out any sounds that betrayed my calm exterior, Prompto giggled openly because it had alarmed me.  
Just then, Noctis passed us by. Which the blond took as a challenge.   
“Hold on tight!” The latter said over his shoulder to me.  
“Oh, no” I dreaded, knowing he would do it. “Prompto, don’t you dare-“  
Before I could finish my sentence, we were dashing as he urged the chocobo to go faster. My stomach started feeling unstable with the shaky movement, making me yelp.   
“See ya, slowpoke!” The blond teased his best friend, who merely grinned in amusement at Prompto’s childishness.   
“That we’ll see” Noctis humored him, speeding up as well.  
Prompto also had the insane idea and the cheekiness to, on top of all, pull out his camera. Holding on to the harness with one hand, he held the camera up and took a selfie of us both.  
“Prompto!” I complained, slapping his back as I tightened my grip around his stomach. “Are you out of your mind?”  
“Relax, Xanders!” Definitely feeling euphoric, he came up with a new nickname for me. “I’ve got everything under control”   
“On your right!” Noctis had fun passing us by again, spurring the chocobo a tad.   
His best friend let out a mischievous chuckle as he tried to keep up with the prince. King.   
“I should have ridden with Ignis” I complained, even though I was secretly starting to enjoy riding chocobos.   
“And miss all of this?” Prompto absently said, focusing in reaching Noctis. “No way!”   
I smiled to myself as I held on to him, actually rejoicing in the race. The chocobo was going fast, but not too fast. Just quick enough to let me enjoy the feeling of speed, the wind in my hair and the mild feeling of adrenaline and euphoria.   
Chocobos were indeed wonderful creatures.

 

With the great mobility that chocobo riding offered us, we took the chance to complete some more hunting and fetch the money of the rewards. Never too cautious when gathering savings.   
Once we left the chocobo farm behind and Prompto was satisfied with our stop there, we went back to the Regalia. We decided that it was time to finally head for Lestallum to meet with Iris Amicitia. Gladiolus was surely looking forward to meeting with his sister again.  
With the silence of the car and the relaxing sound of the background music, I inevitably fell into a thoughtful mood. I reflected on my quest of self-discovery, wondering if there was something I could do to start. Yet all that thinking seemed to be doing no good, merely anguishing me.   
Almost as though he noticed the shift in my behavior, our personal ray of sunshine caught my attention.  
“So Alex, don’t you wanna drive the Regalia?” Prompto mumbled, sitting backwards in the seat. “We all have but you”  
“At least she wouldn’t wreck it” Gladiolus teased the blond, softly punching his arm. The aforesaid responded with a sad pout and a guilty face before he pretended to be nonchalant about the accusation.  
“That is debatable” Ignis calmly said, still focusing on his driving.   
“I don’t have a license” I responded before he could say anything else against my potential driving skills.  
“What?! You don’t?!”  
“Against my better judgement…” Ignis sighed tiredly.  
Indeed, he had insisted that it was important for me to get a license. It would provide me with independence and it wasn’t such a hard task. Truth was, I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of driving. Of controlling such a dangerous mass of metal while carrying people in it. Although I would probably change my mind as soon as I sat behind the wheel.   
“I just don’t think it’s such a big-“  
“Shut up and let me sleep!” Noctis cut me off midsentence. “You’re so annoying!”   
Offended, I glanced at him in outrage. However, when I recognized the playfulness in his expression, I hesitated.   
Noctis was opening just one eye to look at me and showed me a mischievous yet friendly smirk. For once, he didn’t mean it bitterly but heartedly.   
“Sorry, Your Highness” I replied sassily and with dignity, watching how he crossed his arms. “But I was speaking”  
“Whatever” His smirk lingered as he closed his eyes again, stirring until he got comfortable in the seat. And also deliberately bumping into me in order to tease me, making me laugh under my breath.   
I nudged him in silence so he wouldn’t monopolize the backseat. His grin widened even more although there was no other response coming from him.  
It was refreshing to see that, although we lingered on the hostility, at least it was starting to be friendly. Even if we did still set each other’s teeth on edge.   
“You have met my sister, haven’t you?” Gladiolus asked, not heeding Noctis’ complaints about the noise, almost daring him to defy him.  
“Of course, many times!” I smiled sweetly, endeared at the thought of the lovely Iris. “She’s adorable, can’t wait to meet her again!”   
Gladio smirked, agreeing with my statement.   
“That’s right” Was all he said, though.   
“You know who I wanna see again?” Prompto said with a dreamy sigh, already hinting what the answer to that question would be. “Cindy, the Goddess of the Gears”   
I pouted a bit, although trying my best to contain the urge to roll my eyes. I couldn’t help but to feel slightly jealous still, even if I knew his motives were valid. Cindy was a lovely person. Kind, sweet and friendly, definitely big-hearted. Yet my shallow and proud side reminded me that I would never be as beautiful or attractive as her, and the fact that my friend kept bringing her up also brought these feelings up again.   
I opened my mouth, about to bitterly reply and perhaps say something to show off a bit and remind them that I was there with them, and that I had my own achievements even if not related with outer beauty. I was glad that something kept me from doing so.  
Something softly fell on my shoulder, startling me a tad. When I looked I saw a disheveled mop of dark hair that flustered me. Noctis had fallen asleep on my shoulder. It was impressive how fast he succumbed to sleep, we had spoken merely a minute ago.  
Ignis, always attentive, was the first one to notice. It got me wondering whether I was blushing or not, because the tawny-haired man sniggered at the sight.   
“What’re you laughing at, Iggy?” Gladio realized this, of course, having a sort of connection with the advisor as well. Both he and Prompto turned to me, seeking my opinion, when they noticed.   
“Noct fell asleep on her!” The latter pointed at me, praising how adorable we allegedly were judging by his tone.   
I almost wished that woke Noctis up, but he was a heavy sleeper.  
“You don’t have to look so flustered, Alexandria” Gladio gently nudged my ribs.   
“Aw, such a cute picture” Prompto immediately took his camera out, ready to document the moment.   
“Don’t you dare” I warned him, pursing my lips together defiantly.  
I had to hold back the urge to smirk when Prompto hesitated in response to my warning. He had hidden his face behind his beloved camera, but glanced at me in order to analyze my expression, and his was hysterical.   
“Take the photo, Prompto!” Gladio encouraged him, eagerly slapping the back of his seat.   
The blond dedicated me an innocent smile before taking the picture, which made me scowl at him in response.  
“That is adorable” Ignis smiled, still sneaking a few glances at us from the rear view mirror. “I can’t wait until Noct takes a look at the picture”   
“Aw, she’s blushing!” Gladiolus laughed heartily, earning a glare from me.   
“Oh, shush” I averted my eyes and focused my gaze on the landscape instead.   
Although they rejoiced in the fun of teasing me for a bit longer, they soon got back to their own banter.   
Noctis woke up right as before we entered Lestallum. He was yet too drowsy to realize he had been resting on my shoulder the entire time, and I preferred not to bring it up. Even if our friends would still send me amused glances nonetheless.

 

I stretched myself as soon as we parked in Lestallum and stepped out of the car. My shoulders felt stiff and slightly sore, probably due to Noctis’ head’s weight.   
Taking a brief look around, I decided that Lestallum was a beautiful city despite the fact that it was my first time visiting and I had just arrived. But the first thing that caught my eye was a lookout and I immediately headed for it, drawn by the beautiful scenic view of the famous Disc of Cauthess. As I did, I thought that it would make for a beautiful photo and my first instinct was to turn around and search for Prompto.   
“Prompto!” I called him, realizing they had stopped to buy some curatives and items. “Over here!”   
The blond lifted his head at the sound of my voice and locked eyes with me. They immediately lit up when he realized what I was pointing to.   
“Good call!” He excitedly jogged in my direction, already preparing his camera. “Let me get this shot!”   
Then came the sound of the shutter clicking, so I started walking towards our friends knowing we were done there. Although the view was pretty, I preferred to walk away before I settled in that spot as I could spend hours standing there, immersed in the peaceful and tranquil vibe that said landscape provided me with.   
“Wait” Prompto, without dropping his camera, held me by the arm. “Would you pose? The lighting is perfect! It would make for such a cool photo with someone standing before the horizon!”   
“I don’t think I would make for a good enough subject”   
“Don’t be silly, you’d be the perfect one! Camera loves ya!”   
I tilted my head to the side, not believing his flatteries, even if I stood at the spot nonetheless.   
“A bit to your left” As he adjusted the lens, he moved his hand to direct me.   
I awkwardly shifted to my left, dragging my feet and feeling uncomfortable as the main objective in the photography. I was flustered by too much attention.   
I stared at him, expectant, as he took his time to prepare the shot. Then he quickly glanced up to look at me and smile before hiding behind the camera again. The clicking sound of the shutter announced the photo had been taken.  
When his face reappeared behind the apparatus, he glanced at me again.   
“Want to see the photo?”  
“Not really, I probably look awful”   
“No, you don’t! You look-“  
“Prompto! Alexandria!” Ignis’ voice called us, motioning for us to reunite with them.  
I flashed the photographer a shy smile and rushed to join the rest of the entourage. 

 

Lestallum was a lovely city. Filled with people, brimming with life and color. It certainly transmitted a very welcoming and warm feeling as we marched around the spacious streets on our way to the Leville, where Ignis’ sister was awaiting us.   
However, right as we were arriving, the unexpected happened.   
The ground quivered.  
We stopped in our tracks, startled by the quake, and exchanged preoccupied glances.  
“Wow, did you feel that?” Prompto asked us, a pronounced frown in his brow.   
“You mean the earthquake?”   
Before I could utter any comment, we realized that Noctis was hunching forward and groaning in pain as he clutched his head.  
“What’s wrong?” Ignis immediately asked.  
“My head just started throbbing…”   
“You alright?”  
“Yeah”   
“Prince… I mean, Noctis. Are you sure you’re alright?” Preoccupied, I placed a hand on his back, trying to comfort him.  
“I said I’m fine! You’re not Ignis, stop trying to be like him!” Surely, the royal one felt safe around Ignis given that the advisor had served as some sort of paternal figure for him. And the fact that I was trying to look after him like Ignis did upset him, it was my best assumption.Still, his words affected me deeply. I was just trying to help, I was worried for his wellbeing and he pushed me away in such a manner.   
“I’m not him and not trying to be…” I replied sternly, mildly hurt. “Anymore”   
I hoped I had mumbled the last word low enough for them not to hear as it had unwillingly slipped from my lips.   
“Alexandria, where are you going?”   
“I’m going on ahead”   
Just when I was starting to believe that Prince Noctis and I were starting to bond, slowly but surely, he came up with something like that. It just shattered my hopes to befriend him, my hopes for a truce. Perhaps I wasn’t so far off upon thinking he was temperamental and spoiled. Especially since all I did was show an interest in him.   
“Alex…” Prompto called me, but I ignored him.  
I had the urge to look over my shoulder to them yet I restrained myself from doing so. I merely walked into the Leville… just to find out that Iris wasn’t there yet and I was to stand there awkwardly waiting for her while the boys –who I refused to talk to at the moment –also accompanied me.   
Adamant about my proud demeanor, I held my chin up and sat in the circular padded white seat in the reception hall.   
“Talk about babysitting” Gladiolus was saying as the four of them walked into the room. His loud and clear tone hinted that he was being deliberate so I would hear him.   
“It is quite a puerile attitude, Alexandria” Ignis, on the other hand, preferred to address me directly. “Quit being so impetuous”   
As usual, my friend was right. Again, I was aware of my childish behavior yet preferred to linger on it.  
Reluctantly, and only because I could feel their eyes burning in my neck, I looked over to them. Or more likely, to Prince Noctis in order to analyze his expression. His pale blue eyes observed me blankly, even though his eyebrows were furrowing together.  
“I-I’m sure you’ll get along” Prompto chuckled nervously, trying to sound cheery. “You just need to find something in common, bond over something”  
Ignis crossed his arms and stared at the blond curiously while Gladiolus looked around the room, not interested in the conversation, as he looked for his sister.  
“That actually sounds-“  
“I got it!” Prompto eagerly interrupted Ignis, enthused about whatever he had just thought of. “King’s Knight! Everyone loves videogames! You will bond over the power of its awesomeness!”   
Without further ado, he casually got his phone out of his pocket and prepared to make us bond through the ‘power of its awesomeness’. However, he didn’t have the time to confirm his hypothesis as Iris was currently walking down the stairs.  
“Gladdy!” The young woman greeted her older brother, excited by our visit.

 

We were introduced to Jared and Talcott, two refugees just like Iris, and she caught us up on the events of Insomnia while we were away. At least there were some survivors, but that didn’t make the destruction of Crown City less painful.  
It was fantastic to hear, however, that Lady Lunafreya had allegedly been in Lestallum not too long ago even if her stay was brief. She was alive and well. Those news relieved some tensions off our shoulders, the air almost feeling lighter as well.   
After talking with Iris, we all stayed in one of the rooms that we had paid for. Since there were five of us, we got three different rooms but would sort out the beds later.   
We just relaxed, having a respite from our travelling and fighting and just sitting down and chatting a bit. I did remain quiet even if the temper eventually subsided little by little.   
Prompto tried to force Noctis and me to interact with one another by trying his King’s Knight tactic again, yet it didn’t work. I truly appreciated his intentions and efforts, even if they only managed to bring back my bad temper until I isolated myself again.  
I walked out to the balcony of the room, closed the door behind me and leaned on the railing to watch the stars. It was a practice that often calmed me, nature always had that peaceful and cathartic effect on me. I had lost track of time while I stargazed, losing myself in that lovely feeling of serenity. So I jolted up slightly when the door unexpectedly and violently swung open, only to reveal that it was Noctis.   
“Ignis sent me” He reluctantly let out, trying to get it over with as soon as possible. “He says you’re staying with Prompto“  
I glimpsed at the room behind him to see it was now empty before he closed the balcony door behind him. Everyone had left.   
I saved the comment that I was dying to say. Which was that I was surprised our dear spoiled prince would follow someone else’s orders, especially if they were below him like Ignis was.   
Still, I was glad that I had to share a room with Prompto. He would be the only one that wouldn’t chastise me about my previous behavior. Perhaps he would tease me a tad about it, but it would certainly be mild and friendly. Out of them all, Prompto was the one’s company I sought the most at the moment.   
Ignis would calmly and politely scold me, Gladio would openly and angrily comment on my childish behavior, and Noctis would scowl and sulk as he faced his back at me for the entire night.  
“Alright” I merely replied, even if not bothering to look him in the eye.  
“Look, if you’re gonna be all sulky like that maybe you should stay here and let us continue in peace”   
“And if you have a problem with me maybe you should just say it!”  
“Fine, I have a problem with you!”   
“Great” I dedicated him a sarcastic smile that meant to hide how hurt I was by his words. Again. “Let’s agree to hate each other for no reason then, shall we?”   
“Oh, I have a reason” Defiant, Noctis walked closer to me and threw me a glare. “If you stopped treating me the way you do me we’d probably be friends”   
I was reminded of the very small moment in which we almost behaved like friends. Back in the car, when we exchanged playful glances and smiles. At that moment, that memory felt surreal and fake.   
“How would you like me to treat you, Noctis? Please enlighten me because apparently I can never succeed in my attempts!”   
I was left astonished when the dark-haired boy stared at me, stunned. He closed his agape mouth and frowned slightly, now seemingly curious and surprised.  
“What!” I urged him, throwing my arms up in the air out of pure exasperation.  
“I think this is the first time you’ve ever called me ‘Noctis’ instead of your usual and sarcastic ‘Prince Noctis’, you know?” His voice dripped with bitterness, yet the corners of his lips twitched with a smile.   
My defensive and aggressive mood dropped immediately. He was so surprised by that simple change…  
“I used to think you were spoiled and arrogant” I started to confess, exhaling as I calmed myself. “Temperamental, lazy and selfish. Merely a capricious prince living a privileged life”   
“Do I expect a ‘but’ or that’s it?” Impatient and irritated, he placed his hands on his hips.  
“But” I rolled my eyes, bracing myself for the smugness that my words would trigger. “These days I’ve realized that you can be an ordinary young man, who just desires to enjoy himself and cares deeply about his friends. It’s quite endearing, actually, sometimes I forget you’re a prince”   
It took him a moment to reply.  
“That’s good, because that was the reason I had a problem with you”   
“Beg your pardon?”   
“I’m fed up with people treating me like a prince, especially you! Every time we saw each other it was nothing but hostility because of it!”   
It was truly a revelation to realize that Noctis disliked me because of my treatment towards him. I had been too self-centered to see that he was bothered by it, and that made me feel guilty and foolish. I had so much to learn even if I thought I knew everything.   
Being smart like Ignis didn’t quite suffice. Especially because, like Noctis himself had said, I was not Ignis. Of course, I was supposed to stop trying to be as well.   
“I didn’t realize…” I uttered, ashamed by such statement.   
“You can be… pretty condescending”   
“Perhaps I should change that” I caved in, allowing myself to smile at him. “I’ve been told previously that I should relax more”   
“Sounds like a plan” Noctis reciprocated the gesture, even if his lips curled up in a smug smirk.   
I nodded silently, awkwardly turning around to open the balcony door. It was a relief to see that the room was empty and the others hadn’t heard anything.   
“Alex” The prin… the king called me.  
“Yes?”  
“Sorry about before, I’ve been really tense lately and the headaches didn’t help”   
“Neither did I” One of the things I must learn was to admit when I was wrong.   
“But you were just worried about me, I shouldn’t have snapped like that”   
“It’s quite alright” I made a pause, looking into his eyes and being moved by the sudden affection I felt towards that boy. “Noct”   
“It’s weird when you call me that” He shook his head, still smiling, as he started walking and passed me by. “But I guess it’s better than your sarcastic ‘Prince Noctis’ anyway”   
“Goodnight, Your Highness” I said as I headed with him out of the room.   
We both stood in the hallway for a moment, eyeing each other playfully.   
“Night, Alex” It was quite strange to hear him calling me that instead of his sarcastic ‘Alexandria’ but I honestly preferred it as well.   
Noctis walked away from me, and it finally seemed like his shoulders weren’t so tense even if I didn’t have a conscious thought of thinking about it.   
I calmly walked to my room, delighted that such conflict was solved, and opened the door. Prompto was sitting at the edge of his bed, one leg up and one down as he shuffled through the photos in his camera. When he heard me come in, he looked up and grinned at me.   
“Alex, just in time!” Although there was plenty of room in the bed, he scooted for me as he patted the spot next to him. “Wanna see today’s photos?”   
“Why not” I sat down next to my friend and watched the screen with him.   
Ignis was the first one to appear, with a flawless pose dripping elegancy. I chuckled fondly, admiring the picture.  
“I’m pretty sure Iggy was posing on that one” Prompto commented, looking at me and smiling with his eyes.   
“He’s like a bloody model” I locked eyes with him, laughing a bit.   
The gesture apparently flustered him enough to force him to fix his eyes on the camera as he went to the next photo. Many beautiful pictures of landscapes followed, that I assumed he took while we were on our way to the chocobo farm. They were postal worth, absolutely gorgeous. Prompto had natural talent for capturing such beauty! The angles and lighting were perfect!  
After the various landscapes, there came another photo of us. This one was a bit sloppy and shaky. Noctis probably snapped it, lacking the experience and knowledge that Prompto had on photography.   
“Aw, this one’s cute!” The blond cooed, bouncing on the seat a little.   
I stared at the picture of the two of us petting the chocobos as I clung to his arm and squeaked in the photo. Gladio showed up in the background as well, throwing his head back with laughter and holding his stomach.   
Caught by surprise by Prompto’s words, I glanced at him curiously.   
“I mean… the-the chocobos!” He chuckled awkwardly. “They’re adorable”   
“Oh, I see” For a moment I had wondered whether he was talking about me, but it made perfect sense that he was referring to the birds.   
His thumb pressed the button that displayed yet another picture involving chocobos. He passed many by as they were smudgy even if we could tell the yellow blurs were chocobos. Such things probably happened due to Noctis laughing too hard as he witnessed me being initially intimidated by said creatures.   
The next was Prompto’s selfie as we rode the chocobo. He looked beaming as he grinned to the camera, completely in his element. Behind him was me, looking slightly terrified as I tried to hold on to him and my mouth was open as I tried to get him to stop being reckless while riding in the back of a big creature like that.   
“Never would have guessed you would be scared of chocobos” Prompto observed as he went back to the other ones.   
“I am not” I said with dignity. “Perhaps I was mildly unenthused about meeting them at first, but they are quite adorable”   
“That’s what I’m talking about” He put his free arm over my shoulders, gently shaking me around. “Xanders loves chocobos because they’re awesome”   
I shook my head, even with a smile, and softly nudged him in the ribs so he would refrain and skip to the next picture. He obliged, letting go of me and focusing on the camera again.  
“Oh, no” I covered my face, embarrassed yet again but profoundly relieved that there was only Prompto and I in the room. “Not that one”  
“Best friends” My friend teased me, giggling as he swayed back and forth in amusement.   
The photo was one of me sitting in the back of the Regalia, with Noctis’ head comfortably resting on my shoulder as he placidly slept there, unaware of what was happening.  
In that picture, my face was completely red with flush and there was a mix of emotions in my expression, my brows furrowed angrily and my lip pouting in resignation. It was quite a funny photograph even though I wouldn’t admit it out loud.   
“Shush” I pursed my lips together, refusing to accept his playfulness.   
As Prompto budged and passed on to the next picture, I heaved a big sigh. My eyelids had started feeling heavy and my eyes burned a little. Suddenly, I was rid from any energies I had left and I weakly leaned on my friend.   
“You okay, Alex?” Prompto asked me, settling his azure eyes on me.   
“Yes, I’m just positively tired” It had been an eventful day, and the excitement of it had rendered me exhausted. “Hearing Iris’ tale about Insomnia and the Empire actually drained me from my energies, I’m merely feeling it now”   
That day had been a rollercoaster of emotions. First visiting the chocobo farm and having quite a good time there, then arriving to Lestallum and watching Noctis have throbbing headaches with the earthquakes as well as hearing the harrowing tale that Iris told us about our home, followed as well by my reconciliation with Noctis too. It had only been when I sat down that all of this washed over me and a wave of tiredness heavily fell over me.  
However, I was still satisfied with the day. After all, we recovered our usual cheerful dynamic and achieved some sort of respite after such harrowing days.  
“Leave it to you to say big words when you’re sleepy” He joked to lighten up the mood.   
I was aware that I was still resting over his side, but felt too feeble to move away. So I resolved to stay there and absently patted him in the arm to thank him for his efforts.  
“Do you want to go to sleep? I can show you the rest of the photos tomorrow”   
“No, keep going! I’m sure there’s only a few left, I would like to see them”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Positive”   
“Alright then” He shrugged a little, and my head bounced up and down with the movement. My head had fallen on his shoulder without me realizing too. It didn’t bother me at the moment, my eyes were closing anyway.   
“Oh, this one’s good!” His voice was at a normal volume, yet to me it sounded extremely loud. Enough to startle me and make me open my eyes.   
I could hardly even see the photo that the small screen on the camera displayed. The beautiful view from the lookout, with the sun shining in the distance and a hint at the Disc of Cauthess. The photo disappeared to leave room to a similar one, albeit the fact that I also appeared on it.   
I didn’t even get to see how I looked on it, my eyelids had closed on their own and I didn’t have the strength nor the willpower to open them again.   
“See? You look great, really pretty!” His cute chuckle sounded distant, as was his following question. “Alex?”   
I could hear him calling me again, but I was so comfortable and drowsy that I didn’t dare move. It had started to feel like I was falling too deep into slumber to do so even if I wanted to, anyhow.   
Prompto’s warmth next to me provided me with an inviting and comforting feeling that I embraced as I absently shifted closer to him. My head on his shoulder was in the perfect position, like it was made to rest there. It felt cozy, it felt just… nice.  
I fell asleep thinking that Prompto was right. He made a great pillow.

 

“Ow!” A thud woke me up, accompanied by hushed grunts of pain.   
“Prompto?” I groggily asked, turning on the light from the bedside table.   
I didn’t even remember lying down in my bed, and was too asleep yet to consciously ask myself how I got there. Even though the logical explanation was that Prompto was a sweetheart and had carried me there.   
The dim moonlight entered through the open door to the balcony, announcing that it was night time. Other than that, it seemed to be completely dark outside.  
“I woke you up, didn’t I?” He appeared from behind his bed, jumping up into a standing position. “Sorry…”   
“What were you doing in the floor?”   
“I fell”   
I would have laughed hadn’t I been so sleepy. I observed him with squinty eyes, noticing there was something off about him even if I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.   
“Are you okay?”   
“Yeah, just had a clumsy moment” Prompto awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Just… go-go back to sleep, don’t mind me”   
“Are you going somewhere?”  
He frowned at my question, making me realize he was restless. There was something upsetting him, I was sure of it. Prompto was quite transparent and it was easy to notice the change from his usual carefree demeanor.   
“Just, uh… I want to go talk with Noct” He pointed a finger upwards. “I think he’s in the roof”   
That said, the blond tried to hurry away from the room. I understood the moment felt slightly uncomfortable, but I needed to make sure he was alright.   
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I sat up in the bed, getting more serious.  
“I’m fine, didn’t even fall that hard” He shrugged it off with one of his smiles.  
“What I meant was that you seem agitated” I paused for a moment, trying to choose the right words. I didn’t want to overwhelm him or bother him. “Do you need anything? A hug… perhaps?”   
His obvious artificial smile beautifully turned into a sweet one.   
“Thanks, but I’m fine” My friend patted my leg kindly. “Just need to go look for Noct”   
“Alright” I lied back down, holding back the urge to insist. “Just… wake me up if you need anything… Okay, Prom?”  
Deciding to leave him alone, I put the blankets back over me and lied on my side, prepared to go back to sleep.  
“Uh… Alex?” His voice was timid and hesitant. I lifted my head off the pillow and glanced at him, receptive about what he had to say. “Do you… think I’m doing okay?”   
“I… I do… I mean, perhaps I’m not understanding what you mean, but…”   
“I mean that…” Prompto pursed his lips for a moment and looked away. “Do you think I’m doing a good job? Helping you guys, being there for Noct? Being… useful?”   
“Of… of course I do…” I sat up, worried about such strange and unexpected question. “You’re a great friend for Noctis and all of us, not to mention a skilled gunman”  
While he was staring at me I realized my answer hadn’t completely satisfied him, so I carried on.  
“And you… helped me a lot, you comforted me and listened to me” I was confessing something I never truly wanted to voice, yet I would swallow my pride if it reassured him. “Thanks to you I feel like I can finally start being myself because you made me realize it is okay to want to be, because you will accept me”   
Prompto’s eyes shone with emotion as he stared at me, almost hypnotized.  
“Thanks, Alex” A heavy silence followed after that.   
“I mean it” I insisted, hoping I said the right thing.  
“Okay” His voice was barely audible as he let out a sigh.  
“Prompto, are you sure everything’s alright?” I was starting to get genuinely concerned.  
What was going through his head? Why did he ask me that? Was he doubting himself?  
“Yeah” He nodded vehemently, finally dragging his eyes away from me.  
“Perhaps I should…” I began to stand up, shaking the covers off myself.  
“No, don’t worry about me, Alex” Prompto said, holding a hand out defensively before he walked to the door. “Go back to sleep”  
Those words seemed to echo in my mind as he closed the door behind him, sinking the room into the silence that his absence left. Reluctantly, I lied down again and cuddled over myself as I covered my body with the blankets. His reassuring words didn’t convince me, especially not when they were followed by that eerie silence as I was left alone.

 

I couldn’t sleep knowing that Prompto was distraught. At least I knew –or definitely hoped –that Noctis would comfort and enliven him, and I understood that he had gone to his best friend although I wanted to be there for him myself.   
My restlessness subsided into peace as soon as I heard the door opening. I looked at him and saw a bright and fond smile plastered on his lips, which was enough for me. It clearly showed he had recovered his usual lively manners.  
He was talking to me, and I was replying, but I was already halfway submerged into an awaited slumber and I didn’t finish my sentence.


	8. The Sword In The Waterfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang arrives in Lestallum to finally meet with Iris. Alexandria is happy that her friendship with the boys is improving, especially with Noctis and Prompto.

When I woke up, everything felt alright. All my restlessness from the previous day had withered once my weary mind was put to rest. I yawned as I looked towards the balcony. A pleasant breeze came in, accompanied by the tender beams of sunlight. It made me smile. I turned to the other bed, just to have my grin widened by the sight of an adorable sleepy Prompto. He looked so peaceful and happy, hopefully having a beautiful dream. As silently as I could not to wake him up, I stood up imagining that Ignis was already awake. I wanted to ask him what we were to do next as we had already met with Iris.   
I flattened my clothes with my hands, wishing I would have worn some sleeping garments instead of my regular clothes, and put my hair up into a tight bun as I left the room heading to the reception, perhaps to meet with Ignis. Instead we met along the halls, presumably we were both headed in the same direction.   
“Good morning, Alexandria” He greeted me effusively. Ignis was in a great mood, he was always a morning person.   
“Morning” I said back with a head nod. “What’s the plan for today?”   
“Talcott kindly offered to give us a tour around the city” He explained as we started walking down the stairs.   
“Are all of us coming?”   
“Gladio is already up, how about Prompto?”   
“I think he was a bit distraught last night” I confessed, although I didn’t give him any more details. In fact, I felt bad for saying it without asking Prompto himself if I could tell Ignis about it, so I covered my answer. “He was probably just tired, but we should let him sleep”   
“Noct too, in my opinion” Ignis replied, a bit sad. “After all the commotion as well as his headaches, he should get some more rest”   
“I agree”   
“Mornin’, guys” Gladiolus made his appearance just as we stepped into the reception hall.   
“Hello, Gladio” I greeted him, making a conscious mental effort not to call him Gladiolus directly. He seemed to notice judging by the smirk that appeared on his lips.   
“Noct is asleep, Prompto is-“   
“Right here!” The blond hurriedly jogged down the stairs to meet with us. “Were you leaving without me?”   
“We didn’t want to bother you in your sleep” I excused myself, hoping he didn’t take it the wrong way.  
“Well, I’m awake now!” He replied, grinning as he gestured widely.   
Prompto seemed still a little drowsy, probably after he woke up to the empty room and rushed downstairs fearing we were gone. He had literally just woken up.   
“Shall we get going, then?” Ignis looked at us three. “Talcott should be waiting outside”   
“Let’s go” Prompto, although rubbing his eyes groggily, was already full of energy as usual.  
I smiled and looked over my shoulder to Ignis, who reciprocated with a fond glance, and to Gladio. The latter winked an eye at me.  
Hence, the four of us walked outside the Leville with Prompto leading the way. He approached Talcott as soon as he spotted him by the spacious fountain that was in the middle of the street.   
“Hey, buddy!” The blond greeted him, kindly messing up the boy’s hair.  
“Hello!” Talcott replied, even if his eyes were focused on the entrance of the hotel. “Is the prince not coming?”   
His expression fell when he realized Noctis wasn’t accompanying us. The little boy surely admired our royal friend, he probably was hoping to spend more time with him that day.   
“Noct is still sleeping, and we really tried to wake him up” Prompto urged to say to cheer him up. “But boy is he a lazy one! I think not even the tremors could get him off bed”   
With his little joke, Talcott laughed a little. It was so endearing to see Prompto interacting with the boy…  
“Thanks for offering to take us around the city, Talcott” I friendly placed a hand on his shoulder and dedicated him a sweet smile.  
“Indeed” Ignis agreed behind me. “It was very kind of you”   
“Does your grandpa know you’re leaving with us?” Gladio worried, knowing we hadn’t seen Jared around the hotel that morning.   
“Yeah, I told him! He’s okay with it”   
“What are we waiting for then?” Prompto grinned at the boy. “Let’s go on an adventure!”   
The two of them leaded the way as they maintained a lively chatter. I noticed our bubbly blond friend taking his camera out and showing it to Talcott, teaching him how to shoot a picture.   
“He’s great with the kid” Gladiolus observed, nodding in their direction as we followed them to the main streets of Lestallum.  
“Probably because they have the same mental age” I joked, addressing Prompto’s spry and childish as well as innocent and wholesome mentality. “It was to be expected”   
Ignis tilted his head gravely, although he dedicated me the smallest of smiles in amusement to my comment.   
“It is quite endearing, nonetheless”   
Gladiolus nudged me mischievously, and when I looked up at him I recognized smugness in his expression. It was mostly his resting face, almost. Luckily, Talcott spoke just as Gladio opened his mouth to say something which was no doubt meant to tease me about something. I was secretly grateful for the interruption.  
“First we’re going to Partellum Market” The boy announced, turning to us. “We’re almost there”   
As we walked, the murmur increased and we soon noticed that the street we were currently in lead to a big square filled with people and stalls. A varied mixture of pleasant smells surrounded us as well.   
Talcott turned to us as we exited the alley and entered the marketplace. He beamed, proud to be our guide, as he motioned behind him to the stalls.  
“There’s lots of food and other stuff in here! You can find almost anything!”   
“Perhaps I should buy some more ingredients” Ignis held his chin pensively.   
“I can show you where the best ingredients are!” The boy offered excitedly.   
“You better buy something to spice some noodles, Iggy” Gladiolus encouraged him, already following after the other two.  
I grinned at their interaction and started walking myself, taking a look at the items displayed in the stalls of the market.   
Everything looked quite appealing and delicious. All kind of spices, ingredients, deserts, and even some vases and items of decoration to have a bit of variety over all the food.  
I thought that Ignis was definitely in his element, even if he had to put up with Gladio probably insisting on buying spicy items as well as lots of meat. Over the journey I had learnt that both he and Prompto adored spicy food, unlike me and Ignis. Noctis didn’t really mind it that much.   
I admired the variety of colors as I took in the delightful scents of the spice stall I was looking at and moved over to the next one. I passed it by quickly as I was not too interested in decorative urns and vases. The next one was far more enticing than the first.   
Wondering whether I should indulge in the sudden whim, I observed the display of chocolaty delicacies and took a deep breath as I pursed my lips together.   
I was never one to follow after such cravings, seeing them as puerile and undeserving. But then again, I was starting to find out more about myself and realizing I could be childish even if I would deny it out loud. Upon such a dilemma, my first instinct was to think about Ignis. Spoiling me as he sometimes did, he would probably allow me to buy it. It was silly that I was hesitating, he wouldn’t scold me for buying a snack. I needed to stop thinking like the old and severe Alexandria and more like the authentic me.   
I nodded to myself, resolving to buy it even if part of myself still felt guilty for giving in to childish caprices as I wasn’t used to them.  
I leaned closer to the stall, absently taking a look at all the other sweets. They weren’t all made of chocolate, but I could also differentiate some strawberry treats –I absolutely loved strawberries, even if I was craving chocolate at the moment – as well as lemon, grape and many other flavors. Softly nibbling on my lip, I tilted my head to the side and tried to choose one of the chocolate items. It was a tough decision making up my mind between cupcakes, donuts, cake or…  
A finger tapped me in the shoulder, so I turned my head in that direction yet I saw no one.   
“Penny for your thoughts” A head peeked over my other shoulder, followed by a familiar energetic and soft voice.   
Prompto had sneaked behind me, which I found oddly adorable. Especially given that cute grin he showed me as he positioned himself next to me, linking his hands behind his back.  
“I want to buy a chocolate treat” I briefly explained. “Perhaps a cupcake”  
“Nu-uh!” He replied, vehemently shaking his head. “You can’t do that!”   
“Why not? Don’t you like chocolate?”  
“I love chocolate!”   
“Then what is the problem? Why is it that I can’t do it?”  
“Because! I try to stay in shape, and chocolate makes people fat!”   
“What does that have to do with me, Prompto?”   
“You have to share my pain!”  
I couldn’t help but to chuckle at his goofiness, even if he was pouting and I knew he was quite serious about it.   
“Come now” I kindly poked him in the stomach. “You’re in great shape, one cupcake won’t hurt”   
“No, but the ones that will inevitably follow that one will!”   
“Don’t be silly, I’ll buy you one” I turned back to the stall to talk to the seller instead of directly facing Prompto. “Two chocolate cupcakes, please”   
The man nodded and leaned forward to pick them up and give them to me.   
“No-hoo!” Prompto complained. “Aleeeeex, why do you do this to me?”   
“Just this one, Prom” Remembering he liked me calling him like that, I decided to pander to him a little.  
“Fine, just this one” He rolled his eyes, a gesture that felt out of place in his expression.  
I smiled at him and offered him both the cupcakes so he would hold them for me while I paid the man. Prompto sighed dramatically as he obliged.   
“Thanks” I gave the seller the money I owed him.  
“Thank you!” He replied gladly.  
I then turned back to Prompto and flashed him a mildly smug grin as we started walking around the market. His lips were tightly pursed together, but a grin escaped from the restrained expression.  
My friend gave me my cupcake back and started eating his own. I observed him with the corner of my eye as I enjoyed the delicious first bite.   
“Mmm!” Prompto groaned happily. “It’s so yummy!”   
“Quite tasty, isn’t it?” I fully looked at him with an ‘I told you so’ glance that spoke for itself without actually speaking the actual words.   
“Never said it wouldn’t be, missy”   
I couldn’t get rid of the smile on my face as we absently gazed at the other stalls of the market while walking and eating our cupcakes. They were delicious, soft and spongy and with a strong taste of chocolate without being overly sweet. The icing on top was also slightly lemony, yet it complemented the chocolate surprisingly well.  
Covering my mouth with my hand, I snorted when I turned to look at Prompto. His lips as well as some of his chin were covered in chocolate as he was devouring it. Taking notice of my amusement and blushing a bit, he hurriedly shoved the last piece he had left in his mouth and cleaned the remnants with the back of his fingers. I kept laughing, however, which just made him chuckle in the end.  
A loud whistling noise caught our attention, so we looked over to where it came from to see Gladiolus urging us to reunite with them. For a second I had completely forgotten he and Ignis were in the market too, along with Talcott.   
Rejoicing in the taste of every single bite of the treat, I headed in their direction. Prompto followed me closely.   
“What did you buy?” Gladiolus curiously eyed my snack as we joined him.  
“Cupcakes” Prompto said for me since my mouth was full at the moment.   
“Where’s yours, Prompto?”   
“Already ate it”   
Gladio laughed heartedly and shook his friend’s shoulder playfully before he pointed his thumb to another street.  
“Talcott is taking Iggy to the power plant now, let’s go with them”   
Now eating the last piece of my cupcake myself, I nodded and went with them. Ignis and the boy weren’t too far away from us. They turned to meet us once they heard us.   
“Did you see anything you liked?” Ignis took interest in us.   
“I bought some cupcakes for ourselves” I casually shrugged, but I analyzed his reaction carefully. In response, my friend smiled softly. However, he didn’t comment on it.   
“As a matter of fact, I got you something myself” Ignis offered me a sack filled to the middle with something. “I bought them for you”   
Puzzled and curious, I took it and opened it to reveal what was inside. I could feel Prompto peeking next to my shoulder. I gasped in surprise and joy when I saw they were strawberries. Ignis sometimes had those small gestures which just showed how much of a sweetheart he was. He always remembered my likes too.   
“Aw, thank you, Iggy!” I effusively squeezed his arm in appreciation.   
“You like strawberries too?” Prompto excitedly asked me. “I love them! Plus, they’re healthy!”   
“Look at you both, willingly eating fruit” Ignis sighed sadly as he watched us. “Wish it would be so simple to feed Noct some vegetables”   
“Yes” I looked at him as I absently-minded poured some strawberries into Prompto’s outstretched hands. “If only”   
We both started snacking on the strawberries as all of us continued with the city tour, with Talcott lead us to the power plant. Which reminded me that I should offer him strawberries if he wanted too. I opened my mouth, about to do so, when Prompto beat me to it.  
“Hey, Talcott!” He called the boy in his bubbly voice. “Want some strawberries? If Alex doesn’t mind, of course”   
“Absolutely not!” I opened the sack and shoved it in his direction. “Go ahead and get some, Talcott!”   
“Thanks!” The boy took a small handful of them and happily started eating them as well before going back to the front to guide us.   
“He’s such a cutie” Prompto whispered to me before he nimbly moved to stay next to the boy.   
I stood next to Ignis and Gladio instead. The latter stole a few of my strawberries too, to which I responded with a joking glare that made him grin.   
“So what else did you buy?” I pointed at the small bag that Ignis mindlessly carried by tucking it between his arm and his side.   
“Solely some ingredients” With his other hand, he proudly adjusted his glasses. “I have some new recipes in mind that I would like to try”   
“Looking forward to trying those dishes”   
“Especially the meat. It’s delicious, Iggy”   
“And the noodles, Gladiolus?”  
“Gladio”   
“Gladio?”   
“That too”  
It didn’t take us long to arrive as it was only a few streets away from the marketplace.  
“This is the power plant” Talcott pointed at it in the distance with a wave of his arm. “Only women work here, they actually do all the work in this town”   
“Hell yeah, girl power!” Prompto exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air as he stuffed his face with strawberries and fidgeted around.   
“That’s right” We locked eyes and I gave him a self-satisfied smirk.   
“Smooth, Prompto” Gladio teased him because of his praise, holding his fist up for him. The aforesaid made a face yet bumped his fist into Gladiolus’ anyway.   
“This is where you harness the energy from the meteor, correct?” Ignis ventured, asking Talcott.   
“Exactly!”   
“That’s worth a photo right there!” Fidgeting around as he did, Prompto got his camera out and snapped a quick picture.   
“Wanna go to the outlook? It has an amazing view!”   
I assumed it was the same outlook we saw the previous day as we arrived to Lestallum. My friends exchanged looks as well, probably thinking the same thing, but didn’t want to bring him down as he seemed too proud and eager to show us around.   
“Sure, buddy!” Prompto broke the uncomfortable silence. “Show us the way!”   
Talcott’s face lit up with excitement as he nodded, chatting with our friend again as they lead the march.   
“When you do think Noct will be awake?” Gladio asked Iggy.   
“Possibly not for another while”   
“Or for a few hours”   
“You still can’t get on with Noct?”   
“It’s not that…” I absently glanced down to my feet as we walked, focusing my eyes in the tip of my black boots. “I was just stating a fact, Noctis isn’t a morning person”   
The glimpse Ignis gave me next was one full of surprise yet suspicion and intrigue. If experience had taught me something about him, it was that he was a great and intelligent strategist. For all I knew, he could have sent Noctis deliberately, precisely him, to talk to me last night in the hopes that we would have a conversation similar to the one we actually had.   
I squinted at him, suspicious myself, just to be received with a minuscule smirk that only happened on the corner of his lips.  
“What, you’re best pals now?” Gladiolus dared to ask.   
I looked ahead, wanting to keep track of Prompto and Talcott, and dissimulated by shrugging and staring up at the sky.  
It was mainly clear, a delicate blue background scattered with a few white clouds. There was remnants of orange in the sky because of the dawn. The sight had a soothing effect on me, improving my already gleeful mood.  
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I couldn’t truly explain it, but I was actually quite euphoric.   
“You’re in a great mood for someone who angrily stormed off last night to sulk alone” Gladio observed, raising an eyebrow as he looked me up and down, insisting on the subject.  
That reminded me of the conversation I had with Noctis, and how it finally seemed like we could become friends once we had settled our differences. That alone rendered me in a happy state of mind. The lovely morning we were spending together also contributed.   
We were nearly at the outlook, to where Prompto and Talcott raced while we arrived behind them. The two ran to look through the viewing apparatus, exchanging comments in the meantime.   
“This is it” Ignis pointed out to catch their attention. While the blond kept stargazing, Talcott moved to be facing us.  
“Pegglar Outlook” He grinned. “Cool, right?”   
“Awesome!” Prompto said, finally separating himself from said apparatus.   
I walked to the edge and bent forward, resting my arms on the short wall. At least this time I could rejoice in the beautiful scenario without being rushed.   
Talcott spoke to the boys behind me, enumerating some facts about both Lestallum and the meteor. Not too interested in any of that, I centered in enjoying the landscape.   
The vivid orange shade lingered in the sky as the last moments of the dawn occurred, filling the white clouds with a rose tone that slowly faded away. I closed my eyes placidly and let the good energies fill me as I felt the light breeze around me and the very early beams of sunlight.   
“Oh, oh! Look at that!” Prompto’s loud voice sort of broke the magic spell. “That’s the perfect shot right there!”   
I heard the well-known sound of the shutter clicking and I knew that he had taken yet another photo of the view. And that I was most likely in it as well, just facing my back.  
“Know what it would make it even more perfect? You!”   
To ensure the idea that he was addressing me, I looked over my shoulder to confirm that he was indeed staring at me.  
“Prompto…” I complained, honestly not liking being the subject of his photos. Not because I didn’t like him doing it –although he took too many photos of everything for my liking –but because I merely didn’t like my picture being taken. It also felt like history was repeating itself.  
He had taken a picture of me at that very same spot yesterday, yet he would surely excuse himself arguing that this time the dawn made it a unique snapshot.  
“C’mon, Alex! Just one!”   
“Why can’t Ignis or Gladio pose?”   
“Because they don’t have your elegant pose” With one gentle hand, he took me by the wrist and tugged at me.  
“Nonsense, Iggy is far more elegant than I am” I retaliated, although allowing him to drag me around.  
“But he doesn’t have your sweetness” He spoke absently as he held me by the shoulders now, even if his camera in his other hand dug in my upper arm, and positioned me where he wanted me to be.  
Wait… Had he just called me sweet?   
“Nice excuse, Prompto” Gladiolus had been watching the whole thing. Of course.   
“She never poses!” The blond defended himself. “It would make for such a beautiful photo!”  
“Just one?” I smirked, calling back to the cupcake.  
“Just one” Prompto held one finger up, grinning a bit himself.   
“Fine” I carelessly fixed my appearance and shifted in the spot quite awkwardly.   
One of the many reasons why I didn’t like posing was because I didn’t know how to. What posture to have, what expression, how to casually smile to a camera, what to do with my hands. It always seemed forced and artificial.  
Talcott, Gladiolus and Ignis were also observing the scene curiously, which honestly flustered me even further.   
“Just act natural” Prompto definitely noticed my struggle as well.  
“She should have gone for model instead of advisor” Gladiolus mocked, snorting at my visibly uncomfortable stance.  
“Gladio, I can hear you” I glared at him intensely.  
“I know, so? Whatcha gonna do about it?”   
Even Iggy let a chuckle slip, becoming the next target for my glaring. In response, he held his hand up apologetically.   
I briefly looked over my shoulder to see the image that he would document. I still couldn’t think how I would be improving it in any way, but I assumed Prompto enjoyed having a variety of subjects in his photographs. In that aspect he was right, the other were always glad to pose for him, unlike me.   
“Gorgeous” Prompto concluded as soon as the picture was taken.   
Deciding to take a break, I sat down in one of the benches nearby while the others lingered around. We had walked quite a lot and I also wanted to calmly stay there with that fantastic view.   
The other four still observed the meteor in the distance. Ignis, on the other hand, needed to quickly glance at me to keep track of where I was at before he continued the conversation. Exactly like a loving father.  
“Hey…” Prompto plopped down next to me. “You didn’t get mad that I insisted on taking the photo, did you?”   
“No, don’t worry” Interested in how he seemed to be constantly seeking my company, I examined him.   
Perhaps it was only that since Noctis wasn’t there with us at the moment he wanted to take interest in me. Maybe he felt closer to me in that regard and could relate more to me than to Ignis or Gladiolus.  
“Alex, can I ask you something?” He piped up after a brief pause.   
“Go ahead…”   
“Why don’t you like your picture taken?”   
I remained quiet for a moment. Like when he comforted me about not needing to be like Ignis, I knew Prompto wouldn’t mock me for feeling this way.  
However, I wasn’t so confident of him following my perspective, understanding my insecurity. It was something I had been struggling with for a very long time, which was also why I always got jealous of beautiful girls like Cindy. Unlike them, I wasn’t graceful or extremely feminine. I had always connected better with boys –hence why I befriended Ignis and Gladio as soon as I started working for the king –and was interested in the art of fighting instead of personal grooming. I preferred to wear comfortable and practical clothes instead of those revealing and attractive.   
I had always felt clumsy as, despite my composed exterior, I could be extremely awkward and incapable. A facet of me I had learned to conceal over the years and in presence of the Council. And putting a camera on me felt like bringing up all those insecurities, like when I posed I was forced to try and ignore all those flaws while they were being exposed.  
I wasn’t unsure if it even made sense, yet it unsettled me either way.   
“I’m… self-conscious” I put it simply, finding that all my thoughts were too convoluted.  
“You? Why?!” Prompto’s surprise felt almost flattering. Whether it was because he didn’t see a reason for me to be insecure or because I acted confidently, it somewhat comforted me.   
“Because… I’m not photogenic and I was never quite satisfied with my looks”   
“But you’re really pretty!” When I stared at him wide-eyed, he began stammering and flushing bright red. “I-I mean… heh… well, you are”   
I felt the urge to compare myself with other girls again. Cindy’s name popped into my head as well merely because of Prompto’s crush on her, but I forced to keep quiet instead of voicing those thoughts.  
“Thank you, Prompto” I patted his knee gratefully. “It’s kind of you to say that”   
Honestly, I didn’t truly believe he found me pretty. He just wanted me to feel better.  
“Hey, even if you weren’t pretty… which… you-you are…” Prompto shrugged a little, although his eyes wouldn’t meet mine. “You’re still one of the most amazing people I know”   
With that, he stood up and started walking like nothing had happened.   
I knew those words weren’t as vital to Prompto as they were to me. He merely said them because he felt that way, he was always purely genuine and authentic. Prompto just spoke his mind honestly, passing it as something trivial because it was merely the truth to him. Yet to me, those words were making me a tad emotional as it was the first time someone said such lovely things about me. I was deeply moved by his sincerity and his personal opinion and perspective of myself.  
There were moments like these that caused me to become so much fonder of him. Moments in which he showed me what a pure and kind-hearted soul he had, how endearing he was.   
The smile that I had been carrying all day reappeared on my lips as I followed him with my glance. He was looking over his shoulder at me, stumbling for not looking where he was going, making me laugh in spite of myself. Then he made a face of embarrassment and looked ahead as he uncomfortably rubbed his nape.   
I shook my head, extremely fond of the boy, and smiled tenderly.   
“Shall we go back?” I stood up and called my friends. “Noctis might be up already”   
“Certainly”   
“Let’s hope Sleeping Beauty is awake”   
I began walking back to the Leville to hopefully meet with Noctis there. Prompto was ahead of me, walking alone and refusing to look back.  
“You’re quite unique as well” I pursed my lips together not to smile as I passed him by, walking ahead myself to avoid facing the embarrassment of my confession.  
He paused, his footsteps stopping for a moment, before refraining.   
I heard him laughing as he passed me by this time, purposely bumping his shoulder against mine to shove me slightly. I smiled to myself as he happily ran to the hotel.

 

When we arrived, Jared told us that Noctis had left with Iris. They had gone for a small city tour themselves. And hence we waited for them in the reception, chatting lively in the meantime.   
“Did you enjoy your walk around Lestallum?” Jared asked us, leaning on the counter.  
“It was lovely” Ignis nodded politely.   
“Quite enjoyable” I smiled myself.  
“Pretty nice…” Gladio was slightly grumpy, and I knew it was because his sister was alone with Noctis.   
He had always been over protective, and we all knew about Iris’ crush on the royal one. Whatever the case, it was rare to see him sulky and annoyed like that.   
I was used to seeing Gladiolus looking smug, teasing his friends and just having a laugh in general. Despite his menacing exterior, he could be quite a softie, a nice and likeable man.  
I supposed I never saw the side of him that his protégé saw, for example. Even if Ignis would sometimes tell me that Gladio and Noctis had argued and weren’t speaking to each other sometimes, but I just couldn’t quite picture it.   
“Lestallum is such a cool city!” Prompto cheered Talcott on, focusing my attention on the two. “And little Talcott here was the best guide!”   
Jared seemed happy about the way we were treating his grandson. They were both lovable people, it was easy befriending them.   
“Oh, there’s also a legend about a sword behind a waterfall!” The boy excitedly told us.  
“What?”   
“We need to tell Noct as soon as he gets back”   
“Cool, treasure hunt!” 

 

As soon as Iris and Noctis came back, we told them about the possible finding of one of the Royal Arms and immediately rode back in the Regalia there where Talcott had told us we would find it.   
We had to move by foot a small part of the path and followed the sound of water, but we found the cave. It was slowly starting to get dark, which unsettled me, and it also assured that we would have to camp out in the open in order not to drive in the middle of the night and be exposed to daemons.   
I was obviously excited to see that the legend was true and that Noctis could augment his power. However, I was not enthused about the idea of going inside a dark cave.  
“Uh…” I mumbled as we walked towards the entrance. “No one told me we would have to immerse ourselves in an eerie dungeon”   
“You will be alright, just stay close to me” Ignis, naturally, knew about my fear of the dark. He had known that, ever since I was little, it had been an irrational fear of mine. I was so frightened by whatever could be lurking there while I couldn’t see it.   
“Just turn the flashlight on” Noctis shrugged one shoulder and calmly stepped inside the cave.   
At least we had something to light our way, which eased my nervousness slightly. As well as being accompanied by four strong men that would look after me, even if that thought sounded quite selfish.   
“You’re afraid of the dark?” Gladio asked me over his shoulder as he and Ignis entered too.   
“Perhaps so” I nibbled on my lip, feeling extremely anxious. “Everyone is afraid of something”   
Gladiolus’ response was a sarcastic guffaw, although implying nothing scared him.   
Deciding the sooner we entered, the sooner we would leave, I braced for it. I took a deep breath and reluctantly walked inside, flashlight in hand. I followed after Ignis, closely behind, and had to restrain myself from the urge to hold on to the back of his jacket not to look like a terrified child. Knowing Prompto was behind me and hearing the sound of his boots making contact with the stone ground, however, comforted me further. It meant that he quite literally had my back.   
“Whoa, it’s so cold” He mumbled in a shaky breath, and I had to agree with him. There was a drastic shift in the temperature, as outside it was comfortably warm whereas inside the cave it was extremely cold, which didn’t help my anxiety at all.  
“Little chill won’t kill ya” Gladio commented back.  
Yet Prompto was the only one unfortunate enough not to be wearing sleeves. Perhaps he was just proud of his biceps, but bragging about his muscular arms had turned out to be a bad thing for him at that very moment.   
As we walked further into the cave, I found myself starting to shiver. I wore a thin black sweater, yet I wasn’t sure whether my shivering was due to the fear or the cold. Whatever the case, I was not comfortable.   
The only source of light that guided us was also the one from our own flashlights, everything else around us was completely covered in darkness. The beams of light shaking with our walking casted shadows around the walls of the cave, making me silently jolt up in alarm sometimes as we advanced.  
“This way” Noctis said at the front of the group, leading the way as most times.   
“Stay alert” Ignis’ voice startled me after a small pause. “Enemies might be hidden”   
“Great” Prompto sarcastically said behind me. “Like this place wasn’t creepy enough”   
I could hear his heavy breathing behind me, as well as his gulping. Honestly, I almost could make out the beat of his racing heart as he made it so obvious.   
“We’ll be fine”   
“Sure, why wouldn’t we be?”   
“Shut up already”   
“Up ahead” Ignis stopped their banter –I was comfortable in my silence, although I somewhat appreciated their chatter, no matter how bothersome it could also be. At least it wasn’t complete stillness.   
We found ourselves with an easily remedied obstacle in our way. A slide made out of ice, which also seemed the only way down and further into the cave. I just hoped there was another way out, or else Noctis would have to warp us out one by one.   
“Here goes nothing” Noctis didn’t seem bothered at all as he slid down the slope.   
Ignis and Gladio followed without a word, determined and fearless. I, myself, frowned in apprehension and turned to Prompto. He looked as scared as I felt, judging by his panicked expression. He didn’t say anything to me, so I just faced the slope again and took another deep breath.  
“I’m… I’m coming down!” I warned the others, cautiously loud. Just enough for them to hear yet not too much just in case I could awaken any dormant beasts.   
Shaking as I sat down at the edge, I closed my eyes tight and let myself slide down the icy surface. I needed all of my self-restraint not to shout at the top of my lungs while I descended for several seconds into the unknown.  
I opened my eyes as I was launched forward by my momentum, just in time to see a figure standing in front of me and catching me with secure arms. I let out an involuntary shaky exhale as I briefly indulged in the warm safety of Ignis’ presence. His hands kindly rested on my back for one moment before we locked eyes. His glance was reassuring and composed as he nodded silently.   
“Where’s Prompto?” Gladio said behind Ignis.  
Almost in cue, our friend’s little squeaks and exclamations of horror grew closer to us while he slid down the icy slope. He stumbled at the end, just like me, yet he managed to stabilize himself as the momentum pushed him to his feet. I gently moved away from Ignis’ loose embrace and observed Prompto.   
“That… was terrifying” He stated, snuggling over himself and resting his hands on his bare arms.  
“We must carry on” Ignis must have noticed I was shaking, because he took off his jacket and put it over my shoulders without a word. At least he was left in a long sleeve shirt still, otherwise I wouldn’t have accepted it. I smiled at the thoughtful gesture and followed after him, adjusting his warm garment and putting my arms through the sleeves. Shrinking myself under the jacket felt reassuring.   
“No fair” The blond whispered under his breath, walking alongside us. “I want them to give me a jacket too, Alex”   
I was certainly a bit spoiled by Ignis, who was far too paternal and slightly patronizing when it came to me, like I was the younger sister he never had.   
We kept walking along that eerie and freezing cave, being startled by shadows and the reflection of our lights in the ice that covered part of the ground and the walls.   
I opened my mouth, about to reply to Prompto’s comment, when something jumped at us. A group of flan monsters.   
Jolting up, I held on to Gladio’s strong arm before reacting and summoning my sword. I heard a smug chuckle coming from him. Putting my flashlight back in the small pocket in my pants dedicated to it, I wielded my sword and prepared for the battle.   
“Perfect, just what I needed” Prompto was even more talkative than usual, which I attributed to the restlessness that such spooky place caused him.   
The adrenaline that started pumping through my veins warmed me up slowly as I also dodged and strained myself to attack and parry the attacks of the gelatinous beasts. We easily defeated them as they were quite weak, but the sudden warmth within me was nothing compared to the state of anxiety the random encounter rendered me in.   
“Let’s go” Noctis encouraged us, continuing our way.  
“Yep” Gladio stuck closely by him, ever his sworn Shield.   
“Everyone alright?” Ignis checked, quickly turning to look at all of us.   
I merely nodded, summoning my sword off and trying to keep my shaking at a minimum. At least, now that the adrenaline slightly warmed me up, I knew that it was due to my own restlessness.   
For the first time in our journey I was starting to regret coming. I could be warm and cozy, back in my bed, tucked in under a comforting blanket. If it weren’t because our home had been destroyed. Just another reason to put me down. Yet I reminded myself that I had a purpose there, and I would loyally stand by my friends.  
“Ugh, I have an ice cream headache” Prompto snapped in the middle of our silence. “Without the ice cream!”   
“It’s called a brain freeze, Prom” I chuckled, amazed by the fact that he had actually made me laugh in that situation. Only Prompto could achieve such a deed.   
“Watch your step” Ignis said, pointing to the ground, so we wouldn’t trip over the protuberances that formed in that part of the ground.  
“Prompto…” I looked at my friend, resting the tip of my fingers on his upper arm, about to warn him about the tripping hazard in case he hadn’t heard Ignis.  
“I’m not scared, you’re scared!” He snapped of a sudden, startled.   
We both were more affected by the eerie cave than the others. Yet, unlike him, I was bothered by his fear. It reminded me of my own.   
To try and warm him up but also reassure him, I rubbed his bare arms.   
“Ah, your hands are freezing!” He complained, shrugging away from my touch.  
“I’m sorry” I gave up on him at the moment, focusing on following after Ignis again.  
“I really hope there’s something here” Gladio opined, making me open my eyes in panic.   
If after going through all of that there was no sword or no tomb, I would be honestly mad. It would have been all for nothing.   
“I believe there will be something if we just look” Ignis calmed us, collected as ever.   
As we advanced even further in what felt like a never ending maze, we found ourselves with a thin ledge that was most likely the only way onwards.   
“Oh, no!” Prompto exclaimed, annoyingly loudly. “Add heights to the list of horrible things inside this place”   
Noctis sighed in irritation and went first, sticking to the wall as he shimmed through the very thin and unstable ledge. I mentally prayed that it wouldn’t break under our weight.   
“Calm down” Gladiolus grunted in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he went after Noct.  
“Excuse me if I’m not calmed in a place that also triggers my claustrophobia and fear of the dark!” Prompto replied back, offended. I glared at the blond, silently asking him to cut it out. He just pouted at me.   
“Alexandria” Ignis called me, motioning for me to pass the thin ledge before him.  
I grunted, dreading to walk over it, and obliged with a head nod. The tawny-haired man went after me, keeping a close eye on me in case I slipped. I moved as fast as I could to get it over with and reunited with Noctis and Gladiolus on the other side while Ignis and Prompto joined us too.  
The four of us observed our royal friend as he looked around the cave, utterly clueless.  
“We’re lost, aren’t we, Noct?” Gladio asked him, crossing his strong arms over his chest.   
“I know what I’m doing!” Noctis sassed back.  
“We’re quite definitely lost” Ignis sighed softly.   
“It’s this way”   
“I certainly hope so…”   
“I trust Noct, bet we’re almost there!”   
“I certainly hope so” I repeated, even more bitterly than before.   
All of us followed Noctis as he kept venturing further down the cave. I told myself that I would be rewarded with a plate of Ignis’ delicious cooking as soon as we were done there, using that thought as an incentive to keep going.  
Something then echoed around the whole space, startling the five as we looked around for the origin of the sound.  
“Ah!” Prompto shrieked behind me, clutching to my shoulder. “What was that?”   
“Sorry, kicked a rock” If I didn’t know better, I’d think Gladio did it on purpose.  
“You’re killing me here, big guy!” I observed him, watching him roll his eyes as he let go of me, surely not even realizing what he was doing. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?!”  
“Prompto” Ignis placed a peaceful hand on his shoulder to put him at ease. The gesture had the contrary effect as it caused him to jolt up startled and squeak again.  
“It is only me!”   
“Sorry, sorry” The blond exhaled deeply in an attempt to relax. “This place gives me the creeps”   
“You’re going to have to take it easy” I pleaded, feeling how the little calmness I had left was abandoning me because of him. My heart had been racing the entire time we were in the cave, but at that point it hammered against my chest in a painful way.   
“It’s not that easy, this place is the worst!”   
“Prompto!” I gripped his hand urgently, tugging at it. “Stop freaking out!”   
“I can’t!” He complained restlessly.  
“Yes you can, I know you’re braver than this” I was a tad on edge myself, but I didn’t allow the illogical fears to get to me.   
The only thing that actually scared me was the darkness, and although I was frightened I didn’t let it block me. Yet Prompto was behaving cowardly in a way that I didn’t think fit him too much. If he were that scared, he wouldn’t have continued with us. The boy was merely spooked and tense, as was I.   
“Okay” He gave in, nodding and pursing his lips together in determination.   
When we turned to Noctis, Ignis and Gladiolus, they took it as their cue to keep walking. Hence, Prompto and I followed closely.   
I noticed, however, that he had refused to let go of my hand. I wondered whether it was conscious or not, but I didn’t act on it. If holding my hand was soothing for him and helped him feel braver, then so be it. His touch was comforting for me as well, if I was being honest. He also passed part of his body warmth on to me, which helped greatly. Hopefully I passed some of mine over to him as well. I merely observed all of this mentally, though, not wanting the rest to hear my thoughts. Not even Prompto, as it would be certainly embarrassing.   
Soon enough, we found with a big door that definitely led to the famous sword that would add to the Royal Arms for Prince Noctis.   
“Here it is” Gladio observed as Noct opened the door.   
“I was optimistic on the subject” Ignis said, slightly tilting his chin up in pride, always the cold-headed and strategic one.   
I then noticed how Prompto’s fingers closed tighter around my own, showing the gesture was completely conscious. To my surprise, he didn’t let go of my hand, which I was secretly thankful for. However, his eyes landed on me for a brief second, almost as though he didn’t want me to notice. I did yet pretended I didn’t.   
Without further ado, we walked inside the chamber and waited as Noctis summoned the power of the former kings of Lucis. A blueish light illuminated the room as it obeyed his orders, taking over him as it collided with his chest. 

 

When we finally left the cave behind, we found that it was well into the night. We passed from darkness to darkness. Yet being out in the open felt liberating and soothing.   
“Wooo!” Prompto exclaimed happily. “We’re alive! Let’s celebrate by eating something dead!”   
“I’m definitely looking forward to one of your marvelous meals, Iggy” I softly smiled at him, earning a small grin from him.   
“Me too” Gladio patted his friend’s shoulder. “I’m starving”   
“I say we look for a place to camp then” Noctis simply told us. “Can’t wait to go to sleep”  
He grinned at us, but his kind expression instantly shifted into one of pure pain as he hunched over himself. He groaned as he held his head.  
“Oh no…” I uttered, hoping it wasn’t more of his odd headaches.   
“Noct!!” Prompto was by his side in a heartbeat. “You okay?!”   
“Wha… What did I…? What was that?” The boy whispered to himself, not really listening.  
“What is it?” Gladio asked him, observing him in concern like the rest of us were.  
I slightly leaned forward to take a look at him. He seemed paler than usual.  
“A hole on the ground… something burning… The meteor?”   
“You saw the Disc of Cauthess?”   
“This is not normal” I rested a hand on his upper arm, still worried even though he had stopped bending down in pain and the migraine seemed to have passed. “Are you feeling alright?”   
“Yeah…” Noctis sighed tiredly, but glanced at me with soft eyes.  
“Let’s keep going” Gladio tried to brush it off, pretend like it didn’t happen to avoid awkwardness.   
Yet I felt bad for Noctis, knowing his whole life was destined to be like that. Being the Chosen King and having to put up with all those strange things that occurred to him. He was obviously exhausted. I could only imagine how he must have felt all his life, having to maintain that image and having to put up with people’s expectations and different treatment because of his royal blood. Perhaps he was spoiled, and perhaps he could be arrogant and cocky. Nonetheless, his royal status came with more disadvantages than perks. I was realizing that just now after I allowed myself to see his perspective. Also, he had showed me how kind-hearted and caring he could be, he had endeared me into liking him in spite of myself. We weren’t so different after all, we both were pretending to be someone we were not. Yet for someone so wise and attentive I failed to empathize with him and realize all of this before. He was opening my eyes more and more without realizing.  
At least I was still honest and straightforward and I wanted to approach the subject. Just like I had done upon Regis’ loss, I wanted to let him know how I felt at that very moment.   
“What’s so interesting?” Noctis teased me when he saw me staring, letting me know he was back to his usual self.  
“Prince N… I mean, Noctis…” I rolled my eyes in exasperation at myself and corrected my words once more. “I mean, Noct…”   
“You okay?” The aforesaid laughed a little, amused by my clumsiness. “You seemed a little worried there”   
I rolled my eyes, even if I could tell by his sweet grin that he was teasing me. Again, we were having a strange yet friendly interaction disguised as hostility.   
“Next time I’ll leave the worrying to your friends” I scowled at him and began walking, to which Ignis and Gladio followed.   
“You can’t hate each other!” Prompto whined, stomping his feet as he reluctantly walked with us.   
“Why not?” Noctis smirked, deeply amused.   
“Because you’re my friends! It’s wrong! You have to like each other!” Prompto held his hands together, almost begging us to try.   
“You can’t force people to get along” I knowingly sent Ignis a meaningful glance to which he reacted feigning ignorance.   
“I can try!” The blond assured with a bright defiant smirk. “Who’s up to play some King’s Knight!”  
“Prompto-“ I started to explain that all the hostility we displayed was just part of our own inside horseplay, but he was determined and wouldn’t listen.  
“You’re gonna love it, Alex! Noct and I can teach you how to play and-“   
“Not really feeling like it” Noctis stated, patting his back. “Sorry, Prompto, maybe later”   
“Okay…” He sulkily stomped his feet on his way to joining the other two at the front in resignation.  
I grinned at Prompto while he couldn’t see me, greatly entertained by his attitude. He really wanted Noctis and I to become friends, it was quite sweet and funny.   
Suddenly, I lost balance when a hand impacted against my back. I looked to see Noctis chuckling, giving me a smug look. I pushed him back, humoring him in his silly friendly exchange. I could get used to those goofy interactions. 

 

A nice conversation and a delicious meal later, we were all gathered around a warmth fire that lit the darkness of the night and eased the remaining of my nerves.   
Ignis and Prompto were tapping their screens, probably busy with the infamous King’s Knight. Gladiolus was calmly reading his book and Noctis was nodding off, barely keeping himself awake. I absently looked up to the countless stars that adorned the sky. Even in the anguishing darkness of the night, I could find comfort in that beautiful nocturnal occurrence.   
Shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket, I realized I was still wearing Ignis’. Once we were out of the terrifying and freezing cave, I could give it back to him. I stood up from my spot, causing all of them to tear their glances away from what they were doing.   
“Thanks, Iggy” I said, handing him his jacket back. “It was very kind of you to let me wear it”   
“Are you sure? It is quite cold still”   
“Don’t worry about it”   
“Very well” He rested his jacket on his lap and looked back up to me. “Don’t hesitate to borrow it again if you need it”   
“Thanks” I grinned at him, fondly squeezing his shoulder in appreciation.   
“Hey, kid, how about some early training tomorrow morning?” Gladio asked me out of the blue. “What do you say?”   
I honestly needed to improve my combat skills. Or more likely, my stamina and strength as my sword tactics weren’t as weak.   
“It would be wise to train some more” I sighed tiredly. “Not that I’m looking forward to tiring myself like that”   
“You love it” Gladiolus flashed me a charming smile.   
Just then, I noticed Noctis standing up. There was a suspicious looking smirk plastered in his face despite his somnolent look. He walked alongside me those few steps until we reached my chair again. I hesitated, wondering what he was up to, seconds he used to occupy my spot. He had found a way to entertain himself enough to stay awake. Winding me up.   
“Uh… Noct…” Prompto mumbled, puzzled.   
“What are you doing, you royal brat?” Those words were meant to be loving insults instead of hurtful, yet I feared he would take them the wrong way.   
“Dude!” Prompto exclaimed, as well as some other complaints by Gladio and Ignis.  
“Annoying you” Noctis wasn’t bothered by it, it seemed. He just shrugged one shoulder casually.   
“You don’t have to try so hard”   
“I annoy you naturally, huh?” Surprised by my wit, Noctis laughed openly.   
“Exactly”   
“Might as well sit over there then, I like this place”   
Very smugly, he got comfortable in my chair. Resting one leg over the other, he also put his hands behind his head and rejoiced in the coziness of his new spot.   
“As you wish, Your Highness” Smiling widely, I passed him by and knocked his leg off its resting spot as I sat down by Prompto and Gladio. The latter let out a guffaw of laughter.   
“So you actually like each other?” Prompto gasped in absolutely delight.  
“Kinda…” Noctis replied, setting back his leg on its previous place.   
“Interesting manner of displaying your affection” Ignis snorted slightly, subtly recovering with a quick adjustment of his spectacles.   
“Thanks for the effort, though” I knew Prompto had been trying to get us to get along for quite a while.   
“No problem, girl” He winked an eye humorously, doing a gesture that I could only call ‘finger guns’. 

 

For the next couple of hours, we chatted and passed the time until we started to get sleepy. I wasn’t quite there yet, so I excused myself and I distanced from the group slightly. Also because Gladio decided to have a late night training session instead of an early morning one and I needed a moment of serenity after that.   
I could still hear their voices –as well as their yawns –from my spot as they relaxed from the stress and action of the day.   
I deeply breathed in, adoring those moments of serenity. Camping was my favorite moment of the day, one of my favorite parts of the journey as well.   
I felt completely recovered from all the negative feelings I had experienced throughout the day. Lying there on the ground, watching the stars and hearing my friends laughing openly felt like a gift, a perfect moment in a lifetime that could be so beautiful.  
“Whatcha doing?” Prompto’s voice said over my head just as he covered my field of vision.  
I had been so immersed in my happy thoughts that I didn’t hear him approach me.  
He was leaning forward so I saw his face upside down. I thought it was a cute gesture, and it made me smile.  
“Stargazing” I simply replied, staring into his upside down blue eyes.   
“Oh!” He stood up straight, realizing he was blocking the view. “Mind if I join?”   
“Not at all” I watched him as he lied down next to me.  
“Iggy said you love doing it” Prompto made small talk. “All of us were wondering what you were doing here by yourself, but he didn’t even have to ask”   
Ignis knew me better than I knew myself, to be quite honest.  
“Yeah” I dragged my glance away from him to focus back on the starry sky. “I’ve always loved stargazing”   
“Cool” He simply replied, turning silent as he too watched the stars.  
“Do you know any constellations?” I asked him, hoping he didn’t feel obligated to stay quiet not to bother me or perturb my calm moment. I enjoyed his small talk as well as spending time with him. When we were alone, it felt like I could be more open about certain sides of myself.   
“Not really” His arm brushed mine as he shrugged. “You?”  
“Just a few of them” I smiled, thinking back to when I learned them. “Ignis taught me”   
“Is there something he doesn’t know?” Prompto snapped, sounding falsely offended.   
I laughed, amused by his joke. I stirred in my lying spot, getting a bit uncomfortable after such a long time lying down.   
“He sure struggles to make Noctis eat vegetables” I humored him, smiling when he let out a surprisingly loud and genuine guffaw. His response made me chuckle again. It was refreshing to be around someone like him, so lively and positive. I had definitely passed from being irritated by him to finding him absolutely adorable.   
“Can you show me?” Prompto asked me excitedly. “Some constellations, I mean”  
I held my arm up so it pointed to a certain group of stars and briefly turned my head to look at Prompto. The distant light of the fire behind us dimly illuminated his features, even if I only could see half of them as he was looking straight up and allowing me to just see his profile. It was an attractive profile. Ob-objectively speaking...  
“That” I forced myself to say, alarmed when those thoughts arrived to my mind unexpectedly. “You see the one that has four stars creating a square?”   
“That one?” A gloved hand entered my field of vision as he pointed the same constellation I was. “With the other three, that looks like a cart?”   
“Yes, that is the one” I grinned, lowering my hand. “That’s the Big Dipper, also known as the Ursa Major, which means Great Bear in Latin”   
“Whoa” He uttered in awe. His soothing tone soon changed into frantic one. “He-Hey, look! A shooting star!”   
“Where?” I sat up immediately, startled. My eyes scrutinized the sky but didn’t see anything.   
“It was right there!”   
“Aw, I missed it!” I playfully slapped his arm with a pout. “It’s unfair! You don’t ever stargaze and you catch a glimpse of a shooting star!”  
“What can I say?” He chuckled softly. “Beginner’s luck”   
“Did you make a wish?”   
“Yup”   
“What did you wish for?”   
“I can’t tell you! It won’t come true!”   
When I looked at him I saw the brightest smile I had ever seen. He was so pure and so genuine. I must have been staring, because Prompto seemed a bit embarrassed as he urged himself to say something.   
“So…. Do you… like… Are you into astronomy and astrology and stuff?”   
I paused briefly, lying back down. Our bodies were touching as I had unknowingly positioned myself closer to him, but I didn’t want to move away and make him think that the contact made me uncomfortable. Because it definitely didn’t.  
“Not quite” I let out a small grunt as I tried to rest my head in a more comfortable spot, but the ground was hard and it made my neck hurt. “I usually just indulge in watching sunrises and rainbows and such”   
“That’s cool, I enjoy that too” He paused for a moment, but kept on talking. “A good photographer has to know how to appreciate those kinda things and… what-what are you doing?”   
Seeing as I couldn’t get comfortable, it was distracting Prompto from our conversation.   
“I’m sorry, there’s a rock digging in my skull” I chuckled, trying to maybe use my own arms as pillows, but it didn’t quite work because they tingled and became numb under the weight.   
“Here” He had been using his own arms to rest his head there, but he lowered one until it formed a ninety degree angle. “In case you forgot, I make a good pillow”  
“Thank you” I mumbled as I lay my head on his bicep. His fingers brushed my shoulder as he accommodated himself once I rested over him.  
“You can… I mean, get comfortable and all” It was an invitation that I was tempted to take.   
Honestly, the idea of snuggling closer to him and resting over his chest was quite inviting. But I didn’t want to exceed myself, I was feeling embarrassed enough thinking that I was becoming a much different version of myself around him.  
“I’m alright” I timidly mumbled, keeping my eyes glued to the stars. “What were you saying?”   
“I was, uh… Yeah, saying that… you know, as a photographer I have to know how to appreciate things and be observant to notice certain stuff”   
I nodded, even if I still stared at the sky with dreamy eyes. A peaceful serenity took over me, helping me let out a calm sigh that reflected how comfortable I was. I could even fall asleep right there, which was an appealing idea. And just as that thought passed my mind…  
“Kids, time to go to sleep!” Gladio called us from the camp.  
“Oh, yeah!” Prompto sat up easily. “That’s why I came to talk to you on the first place, heh, guess I kinda forgot”   
I snorted at his silliness, but I did enjoy our little chat quite a lot. It made me feel closer to him, like I could already call him a close friend because he probably considered me one as well.   
I was about to stand up on my own when he reached out, placing his hand in front of my face. With a smile, I put my hand over his and allowed him to help me to my feet. Prompto gently closed his fingers around my hand and pulled me up. He was so gentle, so delicate.   
For a long second, we stood there, hand in hand. We coyly smiled at each other before we went back to the tent to get some well-deserved rest.


	9. Weakness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigating Noctis' headaches upon arriving to Lestallum, the five decide to go to the meteor. There Alexandria grows very aware of her weakness after a fight with Gladio.

I woke up startled by an odd an unexpected dream that showed my subconscious knew me better than I consciously knew myself. Yet that didn’t make the dream less shocking.   
“Bad dream?” Ignis’ voice asked as he watched me shake myself awake.  
“No” I replied, staring at the roof of the tent. “Just… an odd one”   
Feeling movement next to me, I looked to see Prompto rolling to his side so he was facing me. He was still completely asleep. His arm had fallen over my stomach, yet I was not surprised. Prompto did subconsciously seek us in his sleep and would often let an arm fall over us.   
For the first time I felt flustered to have chosen to sleep next to him every time we camped out in the open. Even if I based my decision on logic as he was the smaller and calmer one that wouldn’t bother me as much in my sleep.   
“Is everything alright, darling?” Ignis asked me as he took out his phone, probably to wake the boys up with the alarm clock.   
“Of course” I sat up with a sigh, unable to get that dream off my mind. “I’m just still sleepy”   
My friend didn’t insist, and he didn’t even glance at me as I got out of the tent. I was received by the beautiful sound of birds chirping and a sunny yet slightly cloudy weather. Quite lovely.   
I absently poured myself a glass of Ebony –which Ignis always insisted on having around, as he adored it so much –and sat in one of the chairs we left last night.   
I blushed as I mentally went over my dream, in which Prompto made a great appearance. Probably due to stargazing together and sharing such a nice moment last night. In an attempt to belittle the events that took place in my dream, I told myself that I had only dreamt about him because we spent so much time together and because he was the last one I talked to the other night. That was all. But my logic lacked realism due to the nature of the dream. We could have been doing anything, but in it we cuddled and laughed together and were extremely close, always hugging and being intimate. All deeply affectionate and adorable.  
The worst part? Dreaming about that made me crave it, made me want to have moments like that with Prompto. Whether it was an actual desire or the illusion of it due to that strange dream, I didn’t know. Objectively speaking, I did have a growing need to be beside him. I enjoyed his company and adored the feeling of warmth that engulfed me whenever we spent some time alone. In spite of that, did it have to imply I sought something more than friendship?   
“Mornin’!” A hand softly fell on my shoulder, but it nearly gave me a heart attack, because it also was his voice. I had been far too deep into my thoughts to sense his presence next to me. Especially taking in consideration that bubbly voice spooked me, as I was thinking precisely about Prompto.   
“Ah!” I jumped, nearly spilling the entirety of my coffee onto the ground.   
“Whoa” The blond quickly walked to stay in front of me and leaned forward to take a good look at me. “You okay? Didn’t mean to scare you there, Alex”   
“I…” Ignis was walking out of the tent as well, eyeing me in astonishment. “My mind was elsewhere, that’s all”   
“Are you sure you’re feeling alright, Alexandria?” The man asked, making Prompto turn to him too. “You’re hardly ever as distracted”  
“Alex’s in the clouds?” Gladio came out with a big yawn. “That’s a first”   
“I only need to sober up” I scowled at them, taking a sip of the coffee that had not been spilled.   
“She’s probably still exhausted, Gladio” Prompto defended me, plopping down in the chair next to mine. “I told you training during the night wasn’t a good idea”   
I was definitely sore from our training last night, and it could perfectly well be used as an excuse for my odd behavior. Yet I shrugged in response to such accusations.   
Iggy kept eyeing me, however, aware that the training was not the reason for my absent mind. As usual, though, he preferred to wait until I spoke to him about it whenever I was ready.   
“What’s all the fuzz about?” Noctis’ sleepy voice announced he was awake. Even if, as he exited the tent, his drowsy expression told us that it would take a while for him to be completely awake.  
“Alex” Prompto replied simply, motioning over to me. “She’s-“   
“Ugh” Noctis doubled over in pain, holding his head again.   
Alarmed, I stood to my feet and observed him in concern. Everyone had similar reactions of alarm seeing as the headaches became more frequent. Gladio moved in an instinct, always ready to protect him from anything, and placed a protective hand over Noct’s shoulder.   
“Another headache?” Ignis guessed, observing him closely.   
“What should we do? We need to put an end to this” I frowned as I glanced at the latter, worried. “Perhaps we should go to the meteor? If Noctis keeps seeing it…”   
“We could go to the outlook in Lestallum!” Prompto suggested. “See it through the viewing things!”   
“I suppose it’s the rapid and simple solution” Iggy replied, thoughtful. “We must investigate Noct’s condition”   
“To Lestallum it is then” Gladio softly shoved the prince to encourage him.   
As Noctis groaned in displease, rubbing his fingers against his forehead, we all followed. Exchanging eloquent glances between us. 

 

The outlook didn’t seem to be giving us any more hints. More likely, we needed to be actually there to learn what was behind Noctis’ odd headaches.   
The five of us kept our eyes glued on the horizon, as though staring at the Disc of Cauthess from a distance was the answer to all our questions and problems. Even if it certainly wasn’t.   
“What a coincidence” A certain voice spoke up, giving me goosebumps in a very nasty manner.   
“I’m not so sure it is” Gladio was the first to speak up, taking a few steps forward to stand between that man and Noctis.  
“It’s that man again…” The same one that we encountered in Galdin Quay, the ‘man of no consequence’.   
I still didn’t trust him, there was something eerie and unsettling about him even if I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.   
My first instinct was to look at Prompto, and I got troubled when I couldn’t find him. Until I realized he had shielded behind me, agitated by the man’s presence as well. When he noticed me staring he frowned with determination and positioned himself next to me instead.   
“Aren’t nursey rhymes curious things?” The man asked us with a perturbing smirk.   
“What’s he talking about?” Prompto whispered to me.   
“I never know what this man is saying” I said to him in the same tone.   
“Like this one: ‘From the deep, the Archaean calls… yet on deaf ears, the god’s tongue falls, the King made to kneel, in pain, he crawls.’”   
“So…” The blond piped up, finding a similarity to our friend’s affliction. “How do we keep him on his feet?”   
“You need only heed the call. Visit the Archaean and hear his plea” He turned his back to us briefly before facing us again. “I can take you”   
“Oh” A gasp of dread escaped my lips as I immediately glanced at Ignis.   
“Got something to say about it?” Gladio invited me to speak up.  
We distanced ourselves from him a little to discuss it, even if we kept a low volume so he wouldn’t hear us. In spite of the fact that, judging by his smirk, he sensed our reluctance.   
“Why on earth would we go with him?” I whispered angrily. “Can’t we visit the Archaean on our own?”   
“It wouldn’t be so simple, I’m afraid” Ignis said, speaking up for the first time. “Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be able to pass through the control posts alone”   
“And with him, we can?” My instinct played a great role in being an advisor, and it was screaming for me to stand away from that man. “I don’t trust him”   
“We don’t have to trust him” Noctis argued, crossing his arms over his chest.   
“We can let him take us there and still be careful” Prompto suggested, staring at Noct.   
Surely, he was willing to suffer being uncomfortable with that man just as long as his friend felt better. It was definitely a sacrifice we needed to make.   
“I suppose it’s a necessary evil” I gave in, exchanging a glance with Ignis. He merely nodded, remaining silent.   
“We’ll watch our backs” Gladiolus said to reassure us.   
“Fine” Noctis said to the man. “We’ll go”   
He just grinned a little, pleased by Noct’s response and started walking.   
“I’m not one to stand on ceremony, but such an occasion calls for an introduction” The man told us calmly. “Please, call me Ardyn”   
“Ardyn…” I repeated, disgusted. Even the name tasted bitter in my mouth.   
As we followed him to where our cars were parked, my mind burned with thousands of questions. Why would he help us? What was on his mind? With what end would he offer his aid? And why was he following us? Surely, it couldn’t be a coincidence we kept meeting each other.   
I sighed in resignation and frustration as I took my seat in the middle spot of the back seat, back in the Regalia. Wondering what awaited us at the Disc of Cauthess. 

 

As we arrived, we shared our restlessness about this ‘Ardyn’ man. My friends also found him to be creepy and suspicious, no matter how much we needed his help in order to find answers.  
We followed his car and were surprised to see that thanks to him the doors to the Archaean were opened to us. A man of no consequence wouldn’t have such influences. With every passing moment, I grew warier of him.   
What was important, however, was that we were there. And that he had left.   
We walked alongside the path, once we left the Regalia back. However, we were surprised by an unexpected finding.   
“Is that what I think it is?” Prompto pointed a finger up ahead, there where a tomb lied.   
“Didn’t expect to find a royal tomb here” Ignis observed, pausing to observe it.   
“You and me both” I was starting to get a bad feeling about the whole situation.  
“Wouldn’t be a shame not to grab that power, eh, Highness?” Gladiolus told Noctis.  
“Let’s grab it and go” The latter began walking toward it, determined.   
As soon as he was close enough to it, Noct reached out to it. Even under the powerful sunlight, the blue light emerged from it as he was granted the power of yet another royal arm. The heat was also quite present, adding to the brightness of the sun.   
Almost to confirm that my hunch was correct, something happened. All of a sudden, the earth started shaking. Yet another earthquake, which inflected an immense force over us.   
“Here we go again!”   
Not strong enough to stand on my own because of the tremors, I was pushed toward the ground. Gladiolus, who stood next to me, held me up by gripping my arm. Prompto, at my left, fell to the ground as I wasn’t fast enough to hold him up.   
“This one’s huge!”   
“Get away! Quickly!”   
I was about to heed Ignis’ order when I realized that Noctis was kneeling down on the floor. He suffered from another headache at the most inconvenient moment.   
“Alex, run!” Prompto noticed my hesitance and grabbed me by the wrist, but I easily freed from his grip.   
Gladiolus was already going to help him, always his sworn Shield, but I impulsively followed. It wasn’t a conscious impulse either, but I found myself joining him.   
The ground collapsed under our feet, and we were thrown downwards as we fell to a lower level. I slid down a slope without remedy, being pushed by inertia.   
As I made it to solid ground, my body rolled without control yet I managed to stop myself before I reached the edge. Noctis, however, wasn’t so lucky.   
“Noct!” I screamed as he barely hung on. I was about to try and stand in order to pull him up when Gladiolus intervened and did it himself.   
“Noct! I gotcha!”   
I threw myself to them, offering another hand to assist them as Noctis pulled himself up with us. I tightly held his arm until he safely lied down on the ground.   
“Everyone alright?” I asked, ignoring my racing heart.   
“Swell” Gladiolus replied bitterly.   
“Noctis?”   
“I’m fine!!”   
“I had everything under control” Gladiolus snapped at me of a sudden. “You do your job and I’ll do mine”   
I was left dumbfounded with his senseless comment. Was he actually mad at me for looking after Noctis? I knew Gladio would jump at him being his sworn Shield, I by no means implied that he was failing at his duty. Gladio was just irritated, perhaps put under too much pressure and being intimidated that we were facing a deity. Otherwise, why would he behave like that?  
I opened my mouth to reply just when a very loud rumbling sound started behind us. At first it seemed like merely a cluster of rocks and lifeless objects. Until a creature emerged from the depths of them, raising them under a cloud of dirt and smoke. The Titan, echoing with a penetrating guttural voice.   
“Goddamn… This is the Archaean?”   
“Seems we woke the big guy up”   
We observed the deity in awe, too dazed to say anything else, until someone caught our attention.  
“Noct!” Prompto’s voice unexpectedly sounded above us. “You okay?”   
“Guys!” I called them, relieved to hear from them. “We’re alright!”   
“Thank heavens you’re safe” Ignis replied. “Is there a way back up?”   
“There’s a path” I observed, pointing towards it.   
“We’ll see where it leads” Gladiolus agreed. “You two look for a way down”   
“Very well, stay alert” Ignis warned us, preoccupied.   
“What?” Prompto snapped with a high pitch in his outraged tone. “We’re going where?!”   
Leaving them to their own and resolute in our own endeavor, we started following the path.   
“Are we good?” Gladiolus checked grumpily, not happy about being separated from the others. I wasn’t either. I had left behind the two I felt closer with as Ignis was my best friend and Prompto was the boy I related to the most. While I was friends with Gladiolus and Noctis, the situation was a bit more distant than with Prompto and Ignis. Our relationship was more of a work in progress. Yet I was glad that I wasn’t alone, the three of us would protect each other.   
“As good as we can be” Noctis sulked, going on forward along the path.   
“Nothing serious” I rubbed my ankle, as it seemed to have been affected by the violent earthquake and consequent fall.   
“No time for whining” Gladiolus said to my surprise. “Are you hurt or not?”   
“No” I scowled at him, offended by his sudden rude tone.   
“Good” He defied me fiercely. “Because you should be up there with Iggy and Prompto instead of being stuck here with us”   
“What are you implying?”   
“That you would be even more of a burden if you really were hurt”   
‘Even more of a burden’? ‘Even more’?   
I silently fumed as I glared daggers at him. He had no right to say those things, to actually call me a burden. As though he was implying he was stuck with me there, having to look after me or else I would end up dead without his guarding.   
“You sure you can continue?” Noctis feebly looked from Gladiolus to me.   
“Positive”  
“Let’s go then”  
We continued walking and found that the heat became even stronger as we approached the Archaean. I followed as closely as I could, even if I was limping a bit and noticing a sharp pain in my sensitive ankle. I was also irritated by their continuous banter, probably due to the poor mood I was put in. The heat, the anxiety, the separation, the tension among us, our recent encounter with Ardyn… I felt extremely susceptible.   
Earthquakes still occurred, which didn’t facilitate our efforts. Noctis also struggled with his head throbbing in pain, causing Gladiolus to having to keep a constant eye on him.   
As we walked, we found it to be extremely tiring and distressing. Gladio’s glare on me also showed me that he wasn’t happy with my pacing.   
“Hurry the hell up, Alexandria!” He shouted at me, extremely angry.  
“I’m going as fast as I can!” I yelled back at him, irritated.   
Furiously stomping his feet on the ground, he walked closer to me and I noticed he was about to pick me up and save himself the bother of putting up with me. I refused, too proud and mad to allow him.  
“I’m fine!” I pushed him away, rejecting his alleged help. “I just need my time”  
“We don’t have time” Gladiolus rebutted, still glaring at me. I defiantly held his glance, challenging him. The man just scowled and turned around, carrying on following the path.   
I huffed, drying the sweat off my forehead, and pushed through the pain to go with them. Noctis was also dragging himself around, sluggish and grouchy.   
“I’m sick of this endless walking…”   
“And I’m sick of your endless whining” Gladio had snapped, taking him by the collar. “Calm the hell down”   
“Gladio…” I intervened, but the glare he gave me next was enough to quiet me. I had never seen him so angry. Not him not anyone, for that matter.   
I distanced myself from the argument, as it was between Gladiolus and Noctis.   
“Get off my back” The latter complained, trying to be released from his grip.  
“Are you a man or royal blood or aren’t you?”   
“Of course I am, I couldn’t forget it if I tried!”   
I just kept walking, leaving them to it. It was a private conversation that I didn’t want to meddle in, and most importantly, I also wanted to stay away from Gladio at the moment.   
I looked over my shoulder and noticed that their angry expressions had softened and they were merely talking instead of arguing now. Even if I was still upset with Gladio, I tried to see his perspective.  
It surely wasn’t easy being Noctis’ Shield. Constantly looking after him, willingly risking your own safety in order to assure his. Giving your best to turn him into a fair monarch even if he was merely just a spoiled and whiny prince, rendering your effort useless.   
However, it was the first time I truly clashed with Gladiolus. Ignis was trying to do the same for Noctis in a way, and his tactic was different. Not to say that Ignis wasn’t accomplishing anything, but his methods were much softer. Gladiolus didn’t have to be so aggressive. His temper got the best of him.   
When I noticed they started to walk, I did too before they caught up with me. Being slower, I needed the advantage not to hold them back.  
Their glances were directed to me yet moved to the sky, and as I followed them I realized imperial forces were arriving to complicate things even further. The three of us summoned our weapons, prepared to withstand the battle, and faced the MTs as they approached us. Noctis and Gladiolus ran before me to get to them first, already slaying some of the soldiers.   
Trying not to lean my weight on the injured ankle, I swung my sword until it collided with the closest MagiTek’s armor. I moved on to the next one once the other was defeated, but stopped at the sound of Noctis screaming and turned to the sound. When a MT attacked me, I fell to the ground trying to avoid the attack. Too worried for my friend, however, I weakly kicked the enemy and stood up while trying to reach Noctis as he clutched his head in pain, suffering from another potent headache in the middle of the battle.   
“I’ll look after Noct, you look after yourself” Gladiolus actually pushed me, accompanying his gesture with a harsh glance. “You’re having enough trouble with that already”   
I clenched my jaw, deeply hurt by such accusations. As if having to put up with everything else wasn’t enough, he had to remind me of it.   
I let him run off to help Noctis, feeling useless and worthless. My ankle was hurt and I wouldn’t be able to catch up with them, and my battling skills wouldn’t serve much against the MTs nor against Titan, who had awakened and stomped his enormous hands against us.   
At least they had finished the imperial army quite easily and we were just concerned with Titan now. I stood back to give them some space and avoid being a nuisance for them. I just remained there, seething in silence and hoping they would be okay when this ended once and for all. Heeding Gladiolus’ orders in spite of myself, I occupied myself with staying alive and letting the other two take care of each other.  
I groaned in pain when I had to dodge Titan’s attack, hurting my ankle even further with the intense movement, as it started screaming in complaint. I also had to block a MagiTek attack with my sword, struggling in the ground while I wondered where it came from. I thought they had all perished.   
“Bloody MagiTek!” I jumped to my feet and sunk my sword inside its armor, causing it to malfunction and wither.  
I let out a loud grunt of pain and frustration as I clutched my very sore ankle.   
Two pair of feet suddenly hurried my way, making me look in that direction.   
“Alex!” Prompto was suddenly there, resting a hand in my back. “You doing okay?”   
“You’re injured” Ignis joined him too, noticing my limp.  
“I’ll be alright” I carelessly brushed off what was but an inconvenience. “Noct and Gladio…”   
“Let’s go with them” Prompto didn’t think twice to wrap an arm around my waist and serve as a support for me.   
Ignis walked ahead, rushing to reunite with our friends. To check on them and back them up in the battle.   
“How’d you get hurt?” Prompto didn’t complain as I rested my weight over him, nor did he eye me as I grimaced and grunted from the effort or leaning on my bad ankle every two steps.   
“I landed poorly when I fell” I sped up, causing him to do as well, and refused to meet his astonished stare.  
“No biggie, you can still fight” He said to comfort me, taking importance out of it. “And we’ll also protect you”   
But I didn’t want them to protect me. I wanted to be able to protect myself, it was something I should be able to do without help. Even though I wasn’t a Crownsguard like they were.  
“I’m sorry, Prompto” I felt the need to tell him, finding it easier to open up to him.  
“For what?”   
“For being a burden”   
“Come on, you’re not a burden! You’re just a bit bruised!”   
I got quiet, letting the sound of our panting and the background noise of Titan’s attacks to envelope us. We struggled and strained when the deity caused yet another earthquake.   
As we joined our three friends, we embarked in the great battle against the titanic Archaean.   
Prompto let go of me and patted my back before summoning his guns and neatly shooting at the target. I summoned my own sword, not willing to give up completely in spite of it all. They were all too focused on the fight to pay attention to me, so I shouted to get the adrenaline pumping as I launched at the Titan. My poor attack was merely useful, it bounced right off him. In fact, the own force of my hit was enough to make me wobble and fall to the ground. That did bring the attention of my friends, who briefly looked at me and called me in despair before getting back to the battle.  
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Gladiolus shouted at me, too busy fighting to look my direction.  
“Alexandria, stand back!” Ignis exclaimed. “Get to safety!”   
‘Stand back, get to safety’ was a euphemism for ‘stop getting in our way and leave before you get yourself killed’. Even Ignis’ composed persona was angry and urgent in his warning.   
I was suddenly realizing how blind I had been to believe I would be able to defend myself and others with my poor sword skills. They were more basic than I expected, barely enough to save myself. Yet definitely not enough to hold a fight against such an enemy like it was Titan.   
I sighed, feeling yet another insecurity building up inside me. I was never supposed to go with them in the first place, I was just slowing them down. I had thought I could hold myself in battle, but what I didn’t realize was that it was true to a certain degree.  
I was fighting alongside three prepared men. Even Prompto, who wasn’t as experienced as Ignis, or as big as Gladio, or as trained as Noctis. Prompto too was stronger than me, as he was a Crownsguard after all.   
Crestfallen and compliant, I dragged myself away, not even bothering to stand to my feet, and anxiously observed the battle from a distance. They were doing great without me, even better once they didn’t have to worry about me.   
Noctis gave the final blow, ending the Archaean. Triggered by his demise, everything around us collapsed us again. Heated lava exploded from the ground, which also shook violently. I was forced to drag myself away from there and shield myself as my friends ran to me.   
We were trapped in there.   
“You okay, princess?” Gladio’s words only made it worse, even though I was aware of the fact that he didn’t intend to hurt my feelings. With the last remark, he might have been playful as usual, teasing me a little. He might not have meant any harm that time even if before he had definitely said some hurtful things.   
“I’m alright” I proudly said, rejecting the hand he was suddenly offering me and standing up on my own despite my injury.   
“Alexandria” Ignis surely noticed something was very wrong with me, like he always did, but I deliberately ignored him.   
“What are we gonna do?!” Prompto stared at us, scared as we had no way of escaping.  
Just then, a wild rush of wind overcame us, along with a loud noise that we had become familiar with. An imperial craft flying over us.   
“The Empire! Now?”   
The ship came closer and closer, opening to reveal a tall figure that looked down at us.   
“Fancy meeting you here!” To top it all off, Ardyn appeared to worsen things. “It occurs to me I never formally introduced myself. Izunia, Ardyn Izunia”   
“Imperial Chancellor Izunia?” Of course Ardyn was with the Empire.  
“At your service. And more importantly, to your aid” He gestured in a petulant and self-satisfied bow. “I guarantee your safe passage. Although you’re always welcome to take your chances down there. Buried among the rubble, is it?”   
I grinded my teeth in pure hatred, having the sudden urge to look away not to even glance at him out of despite. My pride was screaming at me, saying I would rather die than give him the satisfaction of helping us when he was the one who put us in danger on the first place.   
“Dying here is not an option” Ignis stated as tough it was a fact. “We have no choice, Noct”   
We all observed the aforementioned expectantly, waiting for a response.   
“I know” Noctis replied in the end, resigned to comply.  
“I’m not going with that clown!” I was shaking with rage, closing my fists so tight that my nails were painfully sinking in my palms. I was fed up. Sweaty, injured, exhausted, apathetic and furious.   
“Alexandria!” Ignis scolded me, angry and adamant.   
“You’re gonna have to” Gladiolus sternly grasped my wrist with an iron hand and took me with them.   
We accepted our fate and reluctantly accepted Ardyn’s help. The aid of a man that had been following us around and toying with us ever since we left Lucis. A man from the Empire.


	10. Unknown Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like dealing with her insecurities and their current mission wasn't enough, Alexandria discovers she has strong feelings for a certain someone just as they keep spending more and more time together. Because of this, she makes an important decision.

It had been quite an odyssey, but we were safe and sound. Stranded, as we lost track of the Regalia amongst the commotion, but alive. So there we were, camping in a caravan in the middle of nowhere.  
I had been extremely quiet ever since then. Too many things had happened that I couldn’t get out of my mind. I felt confused and anxious, bothersome and helpless.   
Faced with a twist in reality, I had grown thoughtful and pensive. Was I really so arrogant to believe that I could go from a civilian advisor to a Crownsguard wannabe in merely a few days? With so little training and knowledge on the art of fighting?   
My pride meant nothing if I didn’t show my value, if I had to constantly depend on others no matter what. Like I depended on my friends, like I indirectly depended on Ardyn when I had to resign myself and go so we would be saved from the battleground after our battle with Titan. I needed to make myself stronger, to expand my horizons and learn more fighting skills. Perhaps master wielding other weapons, new techniques and movements. I needed to do something to end this endless cycle of self-pity and apathy that had moved me these few days. It wasn’t fair for the boys to have to put up with me in such a state. No matter how much I enjoyed their company and friendship, a part of me wanted to flee far away from there. Distance myself to gain a new perspective, perhaps a new strength.   
Thinking back to how vulnerable I felt, with a twisted ankle and no way to defend myself while my friends fought for their lives… it made me want to scream. Not because I was too proud to admit that they had seen me like that, but because I wasn’t content with myself. How could I, when I was reduced to a mere spectator while they fought? When I should have been there to help them? I couldn’t continue the journey with them until I was stronger, both physically and mentally. Perhaps emotionally as well. Until I left all puerile and selfish impulses back.   
My mission was to help Noctis, even if I was still with friends. Despite it all, Noct was still King Regis’ son. Even if I could forget it because of how casual and fun my friend could be, he was still destined to be king.   
I promised myself that I would stop subduing myself to that kind of pressure, yet the old Alexandria was resurging. The grave and tense Alexandria whose only duty was that to the crown. Now it wasn’t only that, however. I had a duty to myself, to my friends. I was devoted to improve in order to be comfortable in my own skin, in order to be able to help them.   
All those deep thoughts vanished as soon as a hand heavily fell on my shoulder.   
“How’s your ankle doing?” Gladio’s deep voice brought me back to reality, to the outside of the caravan we were going to sleep in. To the darkness of the night.   
“Alright” I replied, a bit upset at him still.   
Although cooled down a tad, things had still been somewhat tense between us two ever since then. He knew he had said some hurtful things and behaved impulsively. I too, had been pigheaded and proud. Nonetheless, I had expected Gladiolus to apologize. To tell me that he didn’t expect me to fight like they did because I wasn’t a trained Crownsguard like they were. Yet he never did.   
Perhaps I was too used to Ignis’ gentle treatment and Gladiolus’ stubbornness was unfamiliar to me. Perhaps he was right. In any case, I would accept his apologies and smile at him if he said the words. But he didn’t. It might have been that he was also expecting me to apologize, although I saw no reason why I should. Unlike him, I hadn’t hurt his feelings.   
“I’m gonna crash” He nodded towards the caravan where Noctis and Prompto already were sleeping in. “You two don’t stay up too late”   
I nodded as my glance was directed to Ignis, sitting across from me in the white plastic chairs that were displayed in the open. Sensing this, his green eyes fell on me as well. I stared, knowing he would say something. He had been far too patient with my silence and apathy, it was about time he confronted me about it.   
“You can’t sulk forever, Alexandria” His tone was surprisingly grave and severe.   
“I know” I replied before he could kept talking. “I’m trying”   
Ignis sighed in response, incapable of maintaining that authoritarian and stern exterior. Just like with Noct, he was too soft to act like Gladio did sometimes.   
“Would you like to share something with me?” He leaned forward in his chair, attentive and open to any confessions I may have to make.  
“If you don’t mind, I prefer not to dwell on it” I averted my gaze in shame. “I will solve it in my own time”   
I clenched my jaw, determined to get over it once and for all. On my own. I was determined, I sought all courage within me to keep me going by replacing all that remorse.   
“Don’t forget” Ignis paused, standing up and resting his hand atop of mine. “That you can always speak to any of us about any matter”   
“I know” I replied, forcing a sad smile. “Thanks, Iggy”   
My friend nodded solemnly before getting in the caravan himself. Once left alone, I heaved a big sigh.   
Although I kept breaking the promises I made myself, I tried it once more with another one. I told myself that, starting tomorrow, I would fight to achieve my goal. I would be led by courage and determination to get better and stronger.   
Slightly resigned and exhausted, I walked into the caravan and lied down in my shared bed. I tried not to wake Prompto up as I positioned myself next to him. Reminding me that my physical weakness wasn’t my only concern, a strange feeling took over me as I admired his sleeping form.   
If it weren’t because his argument that ‘the smaller ones of us need to share’ because there were only four beds when he distributed the sleeping arrangements, I would believe that Ignis also knew my feelings for Prompto, despite the fact that I couldn’t explain them myself.  
Tearing my gaze away from his peaceful expression, I lied down on my back and blankly observed the roof. In spite of my tiredness, it felt impossible to fall asleep with so many thoughts on my mind.  
Making the bed bounce slightly, Prompto stirred and yawned. He was awake.   
“Did I wake you?” I whispered, not wanting to disturb the others.  
“Nah” Even though he seemed very sleepy, he adapted a casual attitude. ”Can’t sleep”   
“Neither can I”   
“Got too many things on your mind, huh?”   
“Precisely”  
Prompto appeared pensive as he grew silent for several seconds.   
“Is it about the fight with Titan?” His words caused me to lock eyes with him, bewildered.   
“I…” Shying away from his gaze, I kept my eyes glued to the ceiling. “I don’t want to talk about it”  
“Oh… Sorry that I brought it up” Awkwardly, he shifted so he lied on his back as well.   
The feeling of his arm resting against mine distracted me, as we were stuck together in a one person bed.   
“It’s alright” I forced myself to say, screaming internally at the strange effect he had on me.   
“If there’s… anything I can do to make you feel better…” Prompto dared to say after another short hesitant silence.  
“Actually, there is” I piped up, somewhat cheery when I was struck by a brilliant idea.  
“Shoot!” He encouraged me, nodding with enthusiasm.  
“That’s what I want”  
“Huh?”   
“I want to learn how to shoot” It would make me feel like I could protect my friends along with myself, making me feel more capable and useful. Besides, I liked the idea of being taught by Prompto. Who better to teach me than him?  
“Oh!”  
“Would you teach me, Prompto?”  
“Sure thing!” To my surprise, he sat up. “You’ll probably do better with a long distance weapon!”  
During the time we had been stuck in that place, Prompto had tried to encourage me with excuses as such. Saying I wasn’t as efficient as usual during our encounter with the Archaean because of my sprained ankle, or because of the heat and tremors. Mostly because of the fact that ‘Titan’s huge, c’mon! Have you seen that thing, Alex?! Don’t beat yourself up!’, which was his most recurrent phrase on the subject.  
It usually didn’t have the desire effect as it only reminded me of my failure. Of the fact that I wasn’t good enough, which in turn flustered him and rendered him a mumbling mess as he attempted to correct himself and praise my fighting abilities instead.  
The silence became louder as I stared at him in his sitting position, wondering what was going through his head. After a comedic pause, he sighed and looked at me.  
“We can’t do it now, can we?” He chuckled, plopping back down into a lying position and turning his head to me. I shook my head at him, secretly amused.   
“Enough already!” Gladiolus hissed in a monotone voice. “I can’t sleep with you two mumbling”   
Noctis’ soft snores comically filled the noiseless moment until Ignis spoke up. Our royal friend was not bothered by Prompto and me talking in the middle of the night.   
“It is quite late” Iggy said too, clearly irritated. “We should get some rest”   
“Sorry!” The blond quickly lied on his side, ruining any possible further conversation. I smiled to myself as I did the same, facing his back and cuddling over myself.   
The fact that it was the first time I smiled in days thanks to him was a reminder that I needed to analyze my own feelings concerning him. They appeared to be irrational and erratic to me. Those complicated thoughts were what lulled me to sleep.

 

“Alex” A gentle voice called me, along with a hand softly shaking my shoulder. I groaned sleepily, too comfortable and cozy to comply.   
“Five more minutes, Iggy, please” I turned my back to him and tried to get some more sleep.   
I could hear the birds chirping and feel the sun sneaking in through the window. It had to be early in the morning.   
“C’mon, sleepyhead!” It wasn’t Ignis, the voice belonged to a certain bubbly blond. “You’re gonna learn how to shoot a gun!”   
I opened one eye and was welcomed with a pair of very bright and vibrant blue eyes that I was familiar with. They sparked with friendliness when they locked with mine.  
“Mornin’!”  
“What time is it, Prompto?”   
“Pretty early, but we gotta do it before we leave”   
I rubbed my eyes and stirred in my spot, not really wanting to oblige. The laziness was taking over me. Besides, I didn’t rest well as I had an uneasy sleep.   
“Get up already!” He chuckled, taking my arm and pulling me into a sitting position. “We don’t need another Noct!”   
I couldn’t help but to chuckle at his callback, which made him laugh again as well.   
“Alright, I’m up” I gave in, still trying to sober up.   
“Wait for you outside!” Prompto excitedly ran into the open.   
I shook my head, fondly thinking about that goofy and adorable boy. He was like our personal ray of sunshine. It was cute how he remembered my petition and was willing to go through with it.   
Only that was enough to help me brighten up from my usual emotionless state from the past few days. It gave me strength to go forwards with the promise I made myself.  
After taking a few seconds to completely wake up, I left a sleeping Noctis and Gladio to meet with Prompto outside. I imagined Ignis was already awake as well. I squinted my eyes at the brightness of the sun and glanced at my friends instead and yawned a little.   
“Good morning, Alexandria” Ignis received me. “Prompto told me he’s going to teach you how to shoot a gun”   
“That’s right” I feebly combed my hair with my fingers, realizing I was probably suffering from a bad case of bed hair.   
“Is that a safe practice?” His green eyes darted from him to me. “Mindlessly firing a weapon while in a drowsy sate?”   
“Don’t worry, Iggy” Prompto kindly patted his back. “We’ll be safe, Scout’s honor”   
“I highly doubt you were a Boy Scout” Ignis humored us, grinning just a little.   
We both laughed at his joke, but analyzed his expression as we waited for his permission and approval. Even though we didn’t actually need it, but he was like the unofficial mother of the group.   
“Just be sure to make it back before Noct wakes up” He budged in the end.   
“That gives us lots of time” I joked as well, making the boys smile in awe at my unexpected burst of humor.   
“See you later!” Prompto waved goodbye at Ignis as he took me by the arm and dragged me with him.

 

We isolated ourselves from everything not to bother anyone in a wide radius. The loud sound of gunfire could alarm some people and we wanted to avoid that.   
I just observed Prompto as he jumped around me, jittery as he made up his mind. I assumed he needed to plan how to approach his lesson.   
“Okay” He finally settled up, positioning himself in front of me. “Here’s my gun, careful with it”   
“Alright” I held my hand up as he summoned it and made it spin in his fingers before giving it to me. The weapon felt heavier than I expected, and the cold metallic feeling to it took me by surprise.   
I looked up to Prompto, curious about his expression, and recognized an excited but cautious hint to it. He then stood next to me instead, motioning for me to get started. Unsure, I wielded the gun in my hand and pointed ahead to nowhere in particular.   
“Should I wield it with both hands or just with one?” I asked when I realized I didn’t know how to properly hold it.   
“Whatever is more comfortable” He nodded simply, resting his hands on his belt and shifting his weight from one foot to the other.   
I tried to hold the gun with both hands and found that it felt better. It made me feel more comfortable and confident that way.   
I turned my head to look at Prompto, holding an inquisitive look. He nodded again and grinned a little.  
“Let me see your stance”   
“I… thought this was my stance”   
To be quite honest, it wasn’t a conscious one. I was merely pointing my gun, trying to get a good grip on it and keeping my arms straight.   
“You have to have a firm stance before you shoot, tense up a bit”   
I nodded and focused on my posture. I straightened up my back and did my best to stand in a solid position, with my feet firmly placed on the ground. I raised my eyebrows, questioningly, as I glanced at him. Prompto shook his head a little and stood behind me. He awkwardly cleared his throat and hesitantly placed his arms over mine to study my posture. The intimate closeness triggered a sudden warmth in my cheeks, so I resolved to keep my gaze up ahead so he wouldn’t notice.   
I realized then, my idea of having him teach me was either brilliance or stupidity.   
“Do you mind?” He shyly asked me, his breath tickling my ear.   
“N-no” I bit my lip when I realized I had stuttered. “You’re supposed to be teaching me”  
“Right! And… you’re too tense”   
“But I thought you said I have to tense up!”   
“Yeah… Well… no” When he shook his head again, his hair briefly brushed my cheek. “It’s just that you have to keep alert at first until you get used to it”  
“Why?”  
“Because… you have to get used to the recoil”   
“Oh” I chuckled, feeling silly for not realizing on my own. “That makes perfect sense”   
“But you have to relax a bit” His hands settled in my wrist as he spoke.   
I did my best to follow his instructions, keeping my posture intact but relaxing my stiff muscles. He must have felt the change under his arms, because he nodded.  
“Yeah, like that. Now let’s focus on your aiming” Sliding his hands a bit lower until they wrapped the back of mine and he lifted them a little, he continued talking. “Try to keep your arms parallel to the ground, you’re more solid that way”   
“Alright, arms parallel” I repeated, trying to take a mental note of it. “Keeping them straight as well?”  
“Mm-hmm” He made me fold them at the elbows by putting a bit of pressure towards my chest. “If you fold your arms, the recoil will make you stumble back”   
I was flustered by how much he knew about it, especially since I found it so oddly attractive. I did a great effort to suppress the sudden grin that wanted to occupy my mouth as well as those intrusive thoughts.   
“Is that it?” I asked instead, trying to occupy my mouth with something else instead. Words happened to be the best thing I could improvise.   
“Not even close” Prompto chuckled, and his laughter caressed my neck softly. “Next, we gotta focus on your hands”   
I looked over my shoulder to him and frowned, confused as to why he said that. I thought my hands were already in the right place.   
Prompto moved my fingers and repositioned them until they occupied their rightful spot. His hands were kind and gentle even if a little clumsy. He seemed as flustered as me because of the closeness, but I assumed it was necessary in order to teach me. Not that I was complaining.  
My index fingers now rested on the trigger as the rest of them securely wrapped the handle.   
“There really is a lot to consider” I commented, also thinking back to my sword training. “I didn’t know it was as complicated as this”   
“That makes me more of a pro, right?” He joked, chuckling cheerfully again.  
“You are quite skilled” I grinned as I dropped the compliment.   
It triggered a mixture of shy chuckles and incoherent words before he cleared his throat and continued with the lesson. I smiled, slightly smug about the effect it had on him.   
Prompto clumsily took the safety off and made a pause before carrying on with the lesson.  
“Now shoot” To my surprise, his voice sounded deeper and more authoritarian than usual. He surely made it on purpose to recover from his previous timid moment. Still, it sent shivers down my spine.   
“Are you sure?” I checked, knowing his body was still resting against mine. “Now?”   
“Yup” He casually replied in his upbeat tone. “I’ll hold you when the retail makes you stumble a little so you-”   
“I’m not gonna stumble” I scoffed, finding his lack of faith disturbing.   
“You don’t want me to steady you then?”   
“It’s not necessary”   
“Okay, if you say so…” There was a hint of playful smugness in his voice.   
Prompto separated himself from me, even if I could still feel his body warmth closely behind me. But there was now a slight distance between us.   
I quickly glanced at him over my shoulder, earning an encouraging nod from him. I then took a deep breath and looked back ahead, ready to fire the gun for the first time.   
I aimed for a distant bush, taking a few seconds to remember his instructions. Arms straight, parallel to the ground. Index fingers on the trigger. Alert but relaxed stance.   
Then I held my breath as I pulled the trigger. An involuntary squeak escaped my throat as the gun violently shoot.  
The gunfire had been louder than I expected, and the power with which the bullet left the barrel was much stronger than I imagined too. Like Prompto had foreseen, it pushed me backwards a little and made me stumble.  
Luckily, his hands were ready to steady me by holding my hips in place. That was why he was so smug about, he knew it would happen. That I wouldn’t be prepared to the impulse it would give me.  
I stared at him blankly, surprised and embarrassed about my first attempt.  
“See?” He chuckled, deeply amused. “It’s more violent than it seems!”   
“It is…” I rolled my shoulders as soon as I felt the impact of the recoil in my muscles. “Ow!”   
Prompto was beaming as he patted my shoulder playfully.   
“Your footing is a bit weak, that’s why you stumbled so much”   
“I didn’t stumble that much…”   
The blond grinned widely as he summoned another gun to wield himself. Then he demonstrated his own stance, standing sideways and holding the weapon with just one hand. It looked quite neat and, again, he looked oddly attractive doing it.   
I mentally cringed because of those distracting thoughts. Why was I seeing him differently all of a sudden?! Was it because of that stupid dream?  
Realizing he was staring expectantly to make sure I was paying attention, I tilted my head to the side, trying to memorize his form. Then he easily and gracefully shifted forward so both his feet were horizontally parallel and wrapped his other hand around the gun.  
“Copy me” His eyes locked with mine as he spoke.  
I frowned in concentration as I tried to mimic his posture. Legs slightly spread, back straight and arms parallel to the ground.   
“Like this?”   
“Let me see”   
With another skillful spin, Prompto saved his gun in his pocket and approached me. He analyzed my stance for a second before he settled his hands on my shoulders.   
“You have to bend your knees juuust a little bit” To demonstrate, he shook me and showed me that my posture faltered when he did. “And then you should be fine”   
His hands shook my shoulders again once he softly pushed me down so my knees bent down. Then, my posture didn’t falter, just like he had said.   
“Should I fire again then?”   
“Go for it!” He rested his gun on his shoulder in a cool pose as he watched me carefully.  
I prepared myself again, but found that I didn’t feel as confident anymore. I sought his eyes when I looked behind me, and he leaned forward in response.  
“Could you…” I began to say, slightly embarrassed. “Could you steady me this time?”   
“Sure!” More comfortable now, his arms rested over mine as his hands wrapped around mine.   
His front stuck to my back as he used his body as a wall to stop me from moving backwards. The warmth, as well as the secure support, made me feel confident again.   
I held a breath back as I pulled the trigger, shutting my eyes tight and preparing for the moment of truth.  
The impact wasn’t nearly as bad as the first time. My shoulders and arms didn’t hurt as much and I barely even stumbled backwards. Prompto was a great teacher, he was right!  
I was pushed into Prompto’s chest due to the recoil, however, but his support surely helped.   
“You’re getting the hang of it!” He encouraged me, even if I was grimacing when I turned around to meet him.  
“Not really, I get startled when it fires” I confessed, still holding the grimace.  
“You’ll get used to it with time, but your form is fine”   
His hands settled in my waist, making me jump up slightly when his fingers softly dug in my flesh. An unknown fact about me was that I was very sensitive, not even Ignis knew that. Probably because he wasn’t physical or playful like Prompto was, but the blond was about to find out because of that gesture.  
I looked him in the eyes to explain, and I smiled when I noticed he had put his hands up in the air, scared that he had upset me.   
“Careful, I’m ticklish” I explained, feeling the smile widening in my lips watching his confused expression.   
“Good to know” He soon recovered, though, because his hands reclaimed their spot in my waist –gingerly this time, hesitant and gentle not to tickle me –and he rotated my body a little. “But you need to make sure you’re not too tense, you’ll need to use your hips to jump back or dodge”   
I nodded, aiming while I did as he said and rotated my hips in order to move backwards and sideways. His hands didn’t move as I shifted my posture, they stayed in my waist to make sure I upheld the right stance.   
“Am I doing well?” I asked him once I felt like my movements were fluent enough.   
“You’re doing great!” He exclaimed happily. “All you need to do now is practice”   
“So is that all?”   
“Those were the basics, you still need to learn more stuff, I’ll teach you later”   
“We’re going to practice now?”   
“Yyyup!”   
He was almost skipping as he went over to a big rock that stood in front of us, a few meters from where we were standing. Then he took something out of his vest and I laughed out loud when I realized it was empty containers of Cup Noodles. Most likely, emptied by Gladio himself.   
Then Prompto came back to me in a nimble jog and looked at me with a cute expression as he waited. Since I didn’t respond at first, he gave me another of his encouraging nods.   
“Here goes nothing…” I said under my breath, holding the gun and aiming it at the containers.   
I mentally went over all that the gunman had taught me and focused on perfecting my stance to make it more firm and sturdy. When I thought I was ready, I exchanged a quick glance with him to ask for validation. Prompto absently bit his bottom lip as he moved to stand next to me and gently pushed his hand against the small of my back so I aligned myself better. Then he energetically nodded again, and so I shot.   
I winked an eye to try and aim better and pulled the trigger, making my first gunshot.   
Not only did I squeak loudly, still not accustomed to the loud bang –at least the recoil hadn’t made me stumble this time –but I didn’t even graze the container.   
“Don’t worry, you’ll get it!” Prompto cheered me up, excitedly rubbing his hands together as he waited for me to try again.  
I deeply inhaled and took my time to get the aim right. My hands weren’t as steadied as I would like to admit, which I only realized once I had to keep them completely still to make an accurate shot, but I pulled the trigger nonetheless.   
That time I internalized my reaction and slightly cringed at the very loud noise of the gunfire. Yet the bullet didn’t touch the container that time either.   
I pouted and looked over to Prompto, discouraged. He grinned in amusement and motioned with his hand in my direction. At first I thought he wanted me to hand him his gun to demonstrate himself, but he shook his head when I offered it to him. With a simple movement, the other gun he was carrying on his hand disappeared and he stood behind me again.   
“Here, let me help you” He said with his kind and cheerful voice. “Aim first”   
I frowned in concentration as I positioned my whole body in the right manner and aimed my gun. I maintained the posture waiting for him to do something. His arms reclaimed their place over mine and his hands warmly enveloped mine once more. I found myself smiling, thinking this was one of the best ideas I ever had after all. His chin rested on my shoulder in order to get a better view of my aim. I was suddenly very conscious of his chest against my back and his hair against my skin. I bit my bottom lip hard as I tried to dismiss those thoughts. I wasn’t used to such closeness and intimacy, not with him nor with anyone. Perhaps it was why I was so focused on Prompto lately, because I enjoyed such affection and he seemed to be the only one to provide it for me. I closed my eyes tight and told myself to focus on the task and not on him.  
“You need to aim a bit higher than the target actually is” His hands lifted my arms slightly. “And try holding your breath as you shoot, you’ll move less and will be more accurate”   
“Okay” I mumbled absently, taking a deep breath and holding it in as I aimed.   
I was afraid that I would accidentally hit Prompto because of the recoil seeing as he was so close to me. He seemed to realize this too, because he took his chin off my shoulder and hid his face in my back instead, his arms never leaving mine. I chuckled at the playful gesture and had to take a few seconds to get back to my serious concentrated state that I needed to shoot.   
I breathed again, holding my breath as I prepared to shoot, and pulled the trigger. I noticed Prompto’s grip getting firmer, helping me stand still. The bullet, indeed, hit the container and made it fall. I gasped in surprise and excitement. Prompto separated himself from me, letting out a cheerful scream.  
“What did I tell you?” The blond’s voice was laced with a hint of joking smugness. “Bullseye!”   
“I did it!”   
“Try again, come on!”   
I tried to contain my joy as I aimed again. The fourth and last container was my target, so I focused on aiming and standing properly. After I aimed, I held my breath and did my best to keep myself still and firm as I shot once more. The cup fell over when the bullet hit it. Regardless of being startled by the gunfire and being slightly sore because of the tension and recoil, I was beyond delighted.   
I turned to meet Prompto, who was beaming as he held his hand up in the air. I gladly high-fived him and smiled back.  
After I was more familiar with the basics, Prompto proceeded to teach me postures and more that had to do with gun wielding, like reloading and even firing two guns at once. Once my knowledge was increased, we went through what I had learned.   
I practiced some more by shooting targets –the surviving Cup Noodle containers –and Prompto took advantage to snap some pictures while he was at it. 

 

When we got back, Ignis received us with delicious toasts. Gladiolus and Noctis were awake as well, and as we had breakfast we decided that it would be best to head to the chocobo farm so at least we would have that transportation at our disposal while Cindy investigated the Regalia’s whereabouts.   
We had to walk all the way there, so we made a brief pause at a diner. The five of us scattered around as we took a look at the shops around it, also searching for possible quests in case we needed it. Not really interested in any of that, I sat in the shade as I waited for them, resting my tired legs. How I missed the Regalia!  
“Hey, Xanders!” Prompto walked closer to me, hands tucked behind his back and displaying a bright grin.   
“Hi” I looked up at him, using my hand to shield my eyes from the brightness of the sun behind him.  
“How’s about we go get a milkshake at the diner? Whaddaya say?” He grinned excitedly. “Bet they have strawberry flavor!”   
“Sure, it should be fun” My eyes were directed towards the shop, where our friends were still at. “Although I don’t really see Gladio or Ignis being fans of milkshakes, but Noct might like one”   
“I mean… well… yeah, the four of us… uh…” Prompto frowned, troubled. His cheerful expression had completely fallen as he started to mumble to the point that I couldn’t quite hear him. “Like… What I meant was… S-Sure, all of us”   
“What is it?” I worried, confused about that sudden change in his demeanor.  
“N-Nothing, never mind” He then walked alone, entering the diner.   
I stood up and looked at him through the window. I wondered what had happened as he plopped down in one of the chairs at the bar and ordered something.  
“What’s gotten into him?” Gladiolus was walking my direction, even if his eyes were focused on the lonely Prompto as well. Noctis came by just then, listening to our conversation.  
“I don’t know… he asked me to go for a milkshake” I closed my eyes for a moment, completely baffled. “And when I replied that you and Ignis wouldn’t like milkshakes…”   
“He asked you to get a shake and you said that?” Noctis chuckled, even if his laughter evolved into a more intense one that made him hold his stomach. “Oh, man!”   
“I don’t get it” I looked from one to the other. “What’s funny?”   
“For such a smart girl, that brains of yours is pretty thick” Gladiolus smirked, deeply entertained as well as he rested an elbow over Noctis’ shoulder.  
“What is that supposed to mean?” I snapped at him, offended by such comment. Why would he say that out of nowhere?  
“He was asking you to get a milkshake, Alex!” Noct pushed me a little, still giggling.   
“Me?”  
“Yeah, you! Alone! Not all of us!”   
“Oh” A fond smile showed up on my lips. “That is sweet of him, to pass the time with me while we wait for you guys”   
“You’re completely oblivious, aren’t you?”  
“He wanted to spend some quality time alone with you, if you know what I mean…”   
“I’m afraid I don’t…”  
“Flirting 101” Gladiolus grinned as he tapped a finger against his temple.   
“F-Flirting?” My glance was immediately directed to Prompto, who cautiously looked over his shoulder towards us. His eyes widened when he realized I wasn’t on my own anymore, and he rushed outside to meet us.   
“W-What’s up, guys?” He stirred uncomfortably in his spot. “What are you talking about?”   
“Girls” Noctis replied casually, calmly eyeing his friends.   
“With Alex?” Prompto’s blue eyes fell on me, puzzled that they would be having a conversation as such with me.   
“We weren’t-“ I started to say, attempting to clarify it wasn’t our actual conversation subject.   
“You like someone, Prompto?” Gladio nudged him, taking him by surprise and making him stutter.  
“N-n-no…”  
“I thought you liked Cindy!”   
“Well, I… I, uh… uh…”   
I knew what they were trying to do, their mischievous expressions spoke for themselves. Noctis and Gladio were trying to tease us about our connection, perhaps implying that we would make a good couple. Yet I refused, even if would find myself craving his affectionate gestures, for we were just friends.   
The blond kept on stammering as we stared at him, anxious to hear his answer. I was genuinely curious to know whether his crush on Cindy had passed or not.   
“All set” Ignis’ voice interrupted the conversation. “Shall we carry on to the farm?”   
“Yes!” Prompto pointed at the tawny-haired man. “Thank you, Iggy”   
To avoid giving a direct answer, the blond walked off, taking him along too. The other two talked amongst themselves, speaking in a secretive tone that intrigued me.   
“What is it?” I asked them both, concerned about their odd glances to me.   
“Nothing” Gladio, however, was smirking as they started walking and he playfully pinched my cheek. 

 

Even with our lively banter, the endless walking felt tedious. It contributed to my immersion into a reflective mood once again. My brain burned with ideas and possible solutions to my insecurity problem. I hadn’t forgotten about my new purpose, I was merely distracted by it for a brief moment.   
After much deliberation, I believed that straying myself to be on my own temporarily was the best option. I needed the time to think and analyze myself and my emotions, my strengths and flaws. Which was quite hard being constantly surrounded by my friends, no matter how much I enjoyed their company.   
It felt wrong to be hiding my inner monologue from them, but I wanted to be absolutely sure before I made any decisions. Yet it felt equally wrong to be accompanying them while I didn’t add anything to the group.   
A flash of light made me blink repeatedly, slightly blinded by the brightness. I didn’t hear the familiar sound of Prompto’s camera yet I knew it was what brought me back to reality. Noctis and he were taking a ‘selfie’, which the blond loved so much. Since they had stopped for a brief moment, I observed them curiously. The two saw the picture and started laughing out loud, which hinted at a theory that they had been making silly faces when they posed. Probably Prompto’s idea. I smiled at the sight, thinking how endearing he was. Prompto just managed to always keep a smile in our faces, our very own ray of sunshine. I felt lucky to have known him, he almost made me feel like home. Which was ironic as he was literally the only one out of the four that I previously didn’t know as we left in our journey.   
Yet I thought back to the moments we spent together, and the way he made me feel… So warm and content, so happy and excited. His mere presence brought me comfort and joy. His mere existence was refreshing and exhilarating. Prompto was almost like a reminder that there could be light in the world, that darkness existed so we would appreciate the beauty.   
He was just… cute. And not just cute in the obvious way of his exterior appearance. It wasn’t only about his adorable freckled nose, his bright smile and his gorgeous blue eyes. Prompto had a beautiful mind and soul as well, pure, kind and innocent.  
Just thinking about him released butterflies into my stomach, whimsically floating around and filling me with a foreign yet pleasant warmth that made me want to smile. It invited me to giggle out of pure delight, it unexpectedly made my heart race.  
I had never felt like that before, but I was hit with realization when I identified such feeling. It wasn’t just fondness or affection or friendship.  
It was love. Infatuation. Romantic love.   
I froze at the thought, terrified, despite the fact that it was unequivocal. I was… I was in love with Prompto Argentum.  
I only noticed I had stopped walking when Noctis walked into me. With such sudden movement, all my friends focused on me.  
“Are you feeling alright, Alexandria?” Ignis asked me, concerned. His eyes fixed on me as he absently shoved the glasses up his nose.   
“Yeah, you look a little pale” Gladio placed a reassuring hand in the middle of my back.  
Despite all their attention and eyes on me, mine locked with his vibrant blue eyes as he hurried to stand in front of me. Prompto seemed confused as he watched me, also mildly concerned too.  
“And now you’re turning red!” Noctis commented too. “What’s with you?”   
“N-Nothing” I uttered, finally dragging my glance away from his eyes and digging it into the ground instead. “I just feel a bit under the weather, is all”   
“Is something worrying you, dear?” Ignis’ arm hovered around my waist, wondering whether he should embrace me in such manner or not.   
I merely shook my head, forcing myself to look into his eyes. When they reciprocated the gaze, I dedicated him a serene smile that soon faltered as my eyes unwillingly left his.   
My mind kept heading to Prompto, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and about how much I liked him. The foreign feeling sent me into a panic, which lead me to my first instinct. Which was speaking to the person I trusted most.   
“Ignis” I still said, determined as I locked eyes with him. “I need to talk to you, please”   
“Of course” He significantly glanced at our friends until they started walking without us to give us some privacy. “What seems to be the matter?”   
Protectively, his hand rested on my back, soothingly moving up and down to calm my anxiety.  
“I would say you’re a wise man” I started to say, extremely nervous about the mixture of unknown emotions stirring within me.  
“Why yes, I would say so myself”   
“I-I need advice… I feel lost”   
Feeling their eyes on us, Ignis glanced at them and held a hand up reassuringly.   
“Everything is in order” He reassured them, since they were absently walking while they stared at us.  
“I’m okay, I’m okay” I had overreacted, and I didn’t want them to think it was a matter of importance like last time. I didn’t want to scare them. “I just need to talk to Iggy for a moment”   
“We’ll meet you there then…” Gladiolus furrowed his brow, preoccupied. Nonetheless, he started walking. Noctis followed after a brief second of hesitance. Prompto, however, stared at us and refused to leave without us.   
“I’m fine, Prom” I laughed a little, because… How could I not love him? He was so sweet. “Honestly, I just need to tell Iggy something”   
“Okay…” The blond softly told us. “See you later”   
I nodded to reinforce his words, confirming that I would meet him there. Not without a bit of reluctance, Prompto finally went with Noct and Gladio.   
“You’ve been quite erratic lately, Alexandria” Ignis started as we were left alone, crossing his arms elegantly. “Are you ready to share why with me then?”  
“I think so” I heaved a big sigh, trying to put some order into my disordered thoughts. “I… I’m thinking about leaving the group for a short period of time”   
Although it was there reflected in his eyes, Ignis managed to conceal his surprise extremely well.   
“I am ashamed about my actions during our encounter with the Archaean” I confessed, observing him and watching how his expression was one of resigned sadness. Ignis had known that it was exactly my problem ever since we left the Disc of Cauthess. But he didn’t know everything.   
“Alexandria, you were injured…”   
“I shouldn’t have been, I felt helpless and I couldn’t fight alongside you… even if I hadn’t been injured” I sighed, averting my glance from his worried eyes. “I was worthless, merely a burden to you all”   
“You are being too harsh on yourself, you are not a burden” Ignis placed a hand over my shoulder. “But an essential addition to the group”   
“Perhaps as a travelling companion, but not as a fighting partner” With that statement, my friend got quiet. He had no argument to that, because he knew I was right.   
“And you believe leaving will help you in that matter?”   
“I will get time to myself, to train and make myself stronger” I thought back to what Gladiolus said to me, accepting the truth of his hurtful words. “Gladio was right, I need to learn how to take care of myself”   
I could tell that Ignis was troubled, torn between letting me grow and being proud and impressed that I wanted to take such a big step and being concerned about my safety, and hating to leave me on my own to fend for myself. Even if that was the entire point.   
“If you believe it to be the best for you I shan’t impose”  
“I do, it’s something I need to do, Ignis”   
“I understand” My friend dedicated me a soft smile. “You need to be extremely careful, however. You-“   
“I won’t be alone” I cut him, interrupting his incoming lecture about safety. And sensibility. “I will have to sleep somewhere, I’ll go to a diner and stay in the caravans”   
“Where would that be?”   
“Hammerhead, perhaps… With Cindy and Cid?”  
“I would feel more at ease if you stayed close to Hammerhead, certainly”   
“Don’t worry, I will”   
“What about the money? You will need-“   
“Ignis, there’s nothing to worry about. I will be alright”   
“Very well…” He sighed, resigned yet compliant.   
A silence settled, in which we looked at each other wondering if there was something more to be said. I wanted to address my other concern, but it was a more sensitive matter than the other one. One that I felt embarrassed to talk with Ignis about, although I did want his opinion.  
“Is there something more beyond that matter?” Ignis absently took his glasses off and started cleaning them with the hem of his shirt.   
“Yes, I… also feel… confused. Lost, distracted, excited, frightened, happy and smitten. All at once”   
“Why would that be?”   
“I… I think I’m in love, Ignis”   
He nearly dropped his glasses out of utter shock, not expecting to hear that. Perhaps he knew me extremely well, even to the point of realizing I did have certain feelings for a special someone. It was obvious who they were directed to as well once I exposed I had them. Whatever the case, Ignis had not foreseen that I would burst it out like that.  
“Is… is that a problem?” Ignis put his glasses back on and gave me a sweet look. “I have always believed that romance is a wonderful gift”   
“Yes, it is!” I agreed, tilting my head to the side and making a face. “Yet it triggered certain emotions for the first time… And… I don’t know how to act, what to think, what to do! Or if I should do something about it at all”   
I sighed, hating to feel so constricted and disoriented. I needed to wrap my head around the fact that I felt something for Prompto, far beyond my initial beliefs that I just enjoyed his platonic affection. I had to get used to my own emotions and decide how to act on them.  
“It is perfectly understandable”   
“Should I call Cindy then?”   
I pulled out my phone as I carefully watched his expression. Ignis pursed his lips in resignation and bowed his head softly.   
“If you are certain in your decision, by all means”   
I started dialing Cindy’s number, yet I stopped myself before I made the call. I looked up to Ignis and smiled at him fondly.   
“Thank you, Ignis. For understanding and for listening”  
“My pleasure”   
We continued walking then, trying to catch up with our friends as they were probably at the chocobo farm already. I positioned my phone next to my ear as I called the garage.   
With the corner of my eye, I observed Ignis as I waited for Cindy to pick up. My friend seemed a little sad, no matter how masterfully he held his elegant and composed tall stature and firm stance. I could read the distress in his expression, and I found myself wondering what exactly he was thinking.  
“Hello?” Cindy’s friendly voice responded, dripping with that thick accent of hers.   
“Cindy, it’s Alexandria” I started to say, forgetting about Ignis for a moment. “Prince Noctis’ friend”   
“Howdy there! What can I do ya for?”   
“I was wondering if you could please send a car to the chocobo farm”   
“Where are y’all going?”  
“Actually, it’s just me”   
“Kay, where are ya headed then?”  
“To Hammerhead”   
“From the chocobo farm to the garage, comin’ right at ya!”  
“Thanks, Cindy”  
“See y’all!”  
When I hung up, I cautiously looked over to Ignis. He dedicated me a small and sad smile. I did too.  
The two of us just kept walking. We didn’t say one word for the rest of the way.

 

I knew our friends were anxious when I noticed they hadn’t approached the chocobos. They were too preoccupied with reuniting with Ignis and me and hearing what we had to say on the matter.   
Thinking about bidding farewell to them was heartbreaking – I was about to separate myself from the men I had spent every moment of every day with for the past weeks. The thought of being away from them was unbearable, but I convinced myself that it was part of growing stronger.   
“Why the long faces?” Gladio broke the ice as soon as we walked their way.   
“Alexandria as some news she would like to share” Deciding it was best if I told them myself, Ignis motioned over to me.   
“Oh, boy…” Prompto grimaced slightly, worriedly looking from the boys to me. “What’s wrong, Alex?”   
“I have decided to distance myself for some time” I started saying, attempting to ignore the bothersome lump in my throat as I spoke. “I need some time alone with my thoughts”   
“What?” Noctis was the first one to reply, seeing as the blond was speechless and Gladio stared at Ignis in search of a proper explanation. “Why?!”  
“Alexandria believes it to be best for her, Noct” My best friend endorsed me, though he wasn’t happy with the idea himself. “Sometimes we need to isolate ourselves in order to come back with a clearer perspective”   
I was greatly surprised by how well Ignis understood my situation, as he had put it perfectly into words. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Sometimes it made me feel like Ignis conveyed my own emotions better than I did myself.  
“Where you gonna go?” Gladiolus piped up, crossing his arms over his chest and giving me a grave glance.   
“Hammerhead seems like the best option” My eyes changed from Gladiolus to Noctis and finally to Prompto before settling back on Gladio. “I have friends there, not to mention nourishment and lodging”   
“Good for you then” To show me his support, the big man patted me in the arm. “We’re gonna miss ya, though”   
I smiled sweetly at him, grateful. My glance was directed to Prompto, as he was still quiet and recovering from the shocking news.  
“Well…” He let out one of his small chuckles, albeit this one was falsely cheerful and definitely more distraught and surprised. “Cid and Cindy will take care of you”  
“Yes” I looked around, seeking any signs of her arriving. “She should arrive any minute”   
“Wait, you’re leaving right now?!” The blond panicked, moving his whole body in a violent reflex.   
“I’m afraid I will never do it otherwise”   
“Guess you’re right”   
“But, Alex! But… but…”   
“You were always so pigheaded” Noctis ignored the babbling Prompto and friendly pushed me with his fingertips. Ignis smiled a little, at last, as though agreeing with him.   
The engine of a car broke the uncomfortable and raw silence. We looked to realize Cindy was behind the wheel, getting prepared to park the automobile. With the realization that Cindy’s arrival also meant my departure, their eyes fell upon me.  
“Howdy, y’all!” Cindy waved to all of us as she exited the car, and we all reciprocated the gesture. I expected them to walk over to her and greet her properly, but none of the four moved from my side. I was startled by this, especially since Prompto hadn’t even glanced at her.   
“I… guess…” My voice broke and I had to pause for a moment. “Guess this is farewell”  
Ignis took a step forward, wanting to be the first one to say goodbye. A nasty shiver spread through my back with the thought of leaving them for an extended period of time.  
“Iggy, I’m gonna miss you so much” I wasn’t leaving forever! Why were my eyes becoming watery?  
“As will I. Please, take care of yourself” Ignis squeezed me fondly, making me smile against his shirt. “Do call us if you ever need anything at all”   
“I will” I looked up at him and smiled, as did he. Our eyes didn’t part as he stepped back and allowed somebody else to go next.   
“You’re coming back, aren’t you?” Gladio raised an eyebrow, suspicious of my sudden farewell, as he positioned himself in front of me.   
“Of course I am!”  
“Don’t be a stranger now”   
With one arm, he pushed me against him in a bear hug that made me smile in spite of myself, in spite of the sad moment and the frightening consequences of my parting.  
Noctis jokingly pushed him a little as he came to say goodbye himself.  
“I wondered when you would snap and leave” He smirked, refusing to have our farewell be a sad one. “Took you longer than I thought”   
“You’re insufferable, Noctis” I rolled my eyes at him, feigning annoyance. “But not that insufferable”   
“Come back in one piece, okay?” The embrace that followed next was slightly awkward and forced, yet we enjoyed it nonetheless.  
“I will try” I replied as I softly broke the hug, locking eyes with him. His pale eyes were smiling fondly, making me nod in appreciation.   
I briefly looked over my shoulder to Cindy before facing the dreaded moment. The grease-monkey girl was smiling, warmed by the interactions, as she waited patiently. Seeing as she would wait for a little longer, I sought Prompto.   
The boy stood there, seemingly nervous and uncomfortable. He was playing with his hands and appeared oddly small at that moment, as though he felt extremely vulnerable and lost.   
The sight almost made me want to change my mind and stay there with them. Until I remembered that he was a big part of my decision, that the butterflies flew into my stomach at the thought of him. That I wouldn’t be able to perform properly until I settled the giddiness and jitteriness he caused in me.  
I took a deep breath, walking over to him when he didn’t move from his spot. If saying goodbye to Noctis, Gladio and Ignis had just widened the lump in my throat, talking to Prompto made me want to cry.   
I opened my mouth, not really knowing what words would come out of it. I let my instinct take over as my brain couldn’t create any coherent thoughts, being overwhelmed with such varied emotions. Prompto, however, spoke first.  
“Would you mind if… I texted you while you’re away?” Such question was completely unexpected and left me at loss for words.  
“What?”   
“You don’t even have to answer me, you can ignore me! I mean, I won’t text you if you don’t want me to but…”   
He was startling to ramble and stutter again, like most times we shared a special and intimate moment. For a brief second, a spark of hope started in my heart wondering whether he reciprocated my love. I blinked repeatedly to diminish those thoughts and slowly placed my arms around his neck, hugging him in an attempt to soothe his anxiety.   
“I would love to exchange messages with you while I’m out, Prompto” I told him kindly, rejoicing in the comforting and warm embrace.  
The blond squeezed me lovingly, bowing his head down until his nose brushed against my shoulder. He sighed against me and I had to restrain myself not to do the same.   
“Take care out there, okay?” He was the one to pull away, but I allowed him.   
I nodded in response, too afraid that if I said anything else I would start crying. I directed my glance from one to another, foreseeing how much I would crave their presence next to me once I was left alone at Hammerhead. I smiled at the lot of them and took a deep breath as I went to meet with Cindy. I didn’t understand why my heart started racing as I did.   
“Alex!” Prompto’s voice stopped me from walking. I turned around, wondering if he would ask me to stay. Perhaps I still could, perhaps I was on time to change my mind. When our eyes met, I noticed he was sadly pursing his lips together. “We’re gonna miss you”   
His voice had become almost a whisper, barely loud enough for me to hear him. I frowned, mentally scolding him for making me emotional. For sending another shiver down my back that announced my need to start crying.   
Biting my lip and shaking my head vehemently, I stood in my spot for a few seconds, distraught. Then I exhaled a breath I had been holding in and ran in their direction, engulfing them all in one last hug.


	11. Stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexandria is alone in Hammerhead, hunting to earn some money and training to grow stronger. She keeps a routine while she tries to figure out her feelings towards Prompto also. That is, until something happens that breaks her routine.

The first day in Hammerhead was long and insufferable.   
I felt too apathetic to accomplish any of my goals, even if they were as simple as analyzing myself and my feelings. Yet the emptiness that their absence left was too notable.   
As a result, all I did that day was merely wander around Hammerhead, idly studying the hunt possibilities and helping Cindy and Cid with the garage. Other than that, I did spend a lot of time lying down in the caravan’s bed with no luck as to understanding my own feelings or finding a solution for my struggles. It wouldn’t be so simple.   
The morning of the second day was even worse, as I woke up realizing it was the first night I went to sleep completely alone. I missed Prompto’s presence next to me, Ignis’ good mornings, even Gladio’s snoring and Noctis being sprawled out still fast asleep. However, I forced myself to get up and actually do something worthwhile. Because what was the point in leaving the party if I would spend every moment missing them and not doing what I came to do on the first place? With a new found determination, I left the caravan and headed for the diner. I ordered a coffee for takeout and caught notice of a certain blond girl when I walked outside, so I approached her seeking some sort of interaction.   
“Good morning, Cindy” I internally resolved to call a truce about my jealousy towards her. Cindy Aurum was a sweet, friendly girl despite my irrational enmity with her. I merely envied her, and getting over such childish mindset was a step towards improving myself.   
“Mornin’ there!” She slightly distanced herself from the car she was fixing and dedicated me a grin. “Slept well?”   
I shrugged, not really wanting to admit that I didn’t rest properly as my mind kept drifting off to varied subjects.   
“Well, if there’s anything ya need ya ain’t even have t’ask, ‘right?” She absently got back to the engine of the car.  
“Actually…” Restless, I tapped my nails against the coffee mug. “Can I ask you something?”  
“Course!” Very patiently, Cindy stood up straight and glanced at me attentively. “What can I do ya for?”   
“I was just wondering… What do you think about my friends?”   
“Those boys? They’re sweeter’n moogle with a lollipop!”   
I chuckled, endeared by such an inventive response, and nodded.   
“What about… Prompto?” I bit my lip in anticipation, remembering how they made such a great couple.  
“The cute little blonde?” Cindy smirked a little, crossing her arms and tilting her head to the side. “Such a nice fella!”   
“That’s all?”  
“What else would there be?”   
“I don’t know…” I sighed, feeling stupid for needing a straight answer as to make sure I had a chance with him. Even if I wasn’t sure if I should make a move. “Do you like him? As in to go out with him sometime? Eat something together?”   
“Don’t have the time, gotta stay here with Paw Paw and give ‘im a hand”   
I remembered those moments in which Gladio mindlessly flirted with her, and how she rejected him without realizing what he was doing. Cindy wasn’t truly interested in boys, she was too busy with the garage and with helping her grandfather.   
No matter how foolish it sounded, I was relieved by her answer.   
Cindy then looked strangely at me, even if her green eyes were still glowing with friendliness and that smile never faded from her lips.   
“Why do ya ask?”   
“Just… making conversation…”   
“If that’s everything, I’d need to get back to work”   
“Of course, sorry to have kept you”   
“No worries!”   
I smiled at her before she got back to fixing the car and drank the last of my coffee, suddenly feeling energized. Perhaps because of the caffeine of my beverage, perhaps thanks to the spark of hope that talking to Cindy ignited in me. Whatever the case, I was determined to do some work that day.   
I went back to the dinner and returned the mug, as well as studying the hunts again. There was one about sabertusks that offered a reward of seven hundred gil that sounded especially appealing. I nodded to myself and headed back outside, directly for the shop to take a look at the wares.   
I still had some potions, elixirs and phoenix downs that I had been carrying around on our journey, yet I wanted to perhaps obtain a new weapon. I purchased a hand gun, being reminded of Prompto’s lessons, and assuming it would be the perfect occasion for some target practice.   
Thinking of it as an investment as it would help me earn the reward from the bounty, I loaded my gun as Prompto had taught me and started walking to where the sabertusks had been spotted, close to Hammerhead. I missed the Regalia and travelling in that wonderful car with my friends. They were always in my mind.   
Just as I evoked those memories, my phone vibrated in my pocket and so I picked it up to open the text message. It was from Prompto. My heart skipped a beat when I read his name in the screen and proceeded to read the message.  
I know it’s been only a day since you left but… we already miss you, Xanders! =( TOT  
I smiled at the adorable text followed by those many different emoticons, which were so like him. I was about to answer when another message came through, and it happened to be a photo.   
I laughed because Prompto couldn’t text me photos through his camera and had to resign himself to using his phone instead. And I chuckled again when I saw that it was a selfie in which he appeared posing with a beautiful smile. The rest of the boys were with him too, probably after he told them he would send me a photograph. Gladiolus was winking an eye, Noctis showing that small smirk that he posed with for photos so often, and Ignis waving softly with a small smile. It warmed my heart to see such a picture and I didn’t think twice to save it as my phone background.   
I miss you all too! I replied simply, not truly knowing how to further express myself.   
Iggy asks if you’re doing okay =P Prompto send yet another message.  
Tell him not to worry, I’m alright  
‘Kay, take care out there! =D And say hi to Cid and Cindy for us! ;)  
Sure =)  
I waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t. I assumed he also didn’t want to bother me and I appreciated that despite the fact that I partly wanted him to keep talking.   
As I continued walking under the hot sun, trudging through the rocky and sandy ground of the desert area, he lingered on my mind. I distracted myself with the possible outcomes and scenarios of my interactions with him, balancing whether I should act one way or the other.

 

It took me a long time to finally find the sabertusks, and by then I had decided a provisional solution for my problem with Prompto. I was too scared that acting on my infatuation resulted in the end of our friendship, and I didn’t want to lose him. So I resolved to staying friends with him for the time being, at least until I could be one hundred percent positive that he reciprocated my feelings.   
It didn’t solve my problem, nor put the butterflies that awoke inside my stomach at the thought of him at rest. But at least it was the first step. For the moment, I focused in my other goal: becoming stronger.   
I conjured my sword and kept my new handgun in mind in case I felt like I needed it. I took a deep breath as I prepared for the battle, letting my instinct guide me while I also concentrated on everything I knew about fighting.   
The creatures –there were three of them –growled as they noticed me and moved quickly to approach and attack me. I started with a simple swing of my sword, which hit one of them and made it stand back. The adrenaline started building up inside of me, speeding my heart up and accelerating my movements and thoughts. I felt frantic, rushed and energetic.   
I tried to remember what Gladiolus told me when he first started teaching me how to fight. The lessons he taught me as I began to wield my sword: stay alert, never lose focus, don’t attack mindlessly, sometimes the best attack is a good defense. Those were the main lessons as this happened so long ago that it was hard separating the theory from the practical part. And I was used to the latter, basing my attacks on muscular memory and instinct. They still played a big part, but I had realized lately that it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t attack mindlessly and hope for success.   
Fearing that the other two sabertusks in the distance would catch up to me and attack me while I was busy with the closest one, I pulled out my new gun. It was the perfect weapon for long distance combat.   
Here was where my new knowledge came in handy, where I was to recall all that Prompto taught me. I wielded my handgun with both hands, arms straight and legs slightly apart yet firmly planted on the ground. I held my breath as I fired the weapon, trying to flex my arms to lessen the impact of the recoil. It worked.   
I smirked, thinking that a certain blond would be proud of me, when I realized it had been a precise shoot and it hit directly in its head, bringing the sabertusk down. I jumped back to avoid the claw that the closest creature swung at me and carelessly fired at it to buy myself some time while I took the other sabertusk down, the one far away from me, before it could reach me. Even though I was positive that my stance was correct, my aim was still lacking. It took me three attempts to hit the creature until it was dead, and by then the other one was already back on its feet.   
I saved my gun as fast as I could and wielded my sword again instead, yet the sabertusk had tackled me to the ground and threatened to bite me. If it weren’t because my reflexes had saved me by using my arm as a shield, pushing it against the creature’s neck to establish a distance between its jaws and my face, it would have probably killed me in one blow. My training wasn’t as useless as I first thought, it gave me instinct and reflexes even if the problem probably was the lack of practice and strategy.  
I pushed my feet against the sabertusk as hard as I could, which achieved to throw it back and give me some room to breathe. Even if it did scratch my arm as it tried to cling onto to me. I could have sworn its fangs also scratched my cheek as we struggled, because my skin burned in that very spot.  
As it was further away now, I wished I hadn’t saved my pistol. However, I didn’t have the time to wield it again. Already carrying the sword in my hand, I prepared to defend myself with it instead, letting the sabertusk get closer to me and preparing to retaliate.   
My breath hitched in my throat as it pounced at me, but I forced to send an order to my arms so they would stab it before it could get to me. They did, and the blade sunk into the sabertusk’s body before it could harm me.   
They had been only three sabertusks, which weren’t too powerful. Yet those enemies offered quite the fight for me, leaving me lying on the ground breathing heavily and appreciating life much more. I couldn’t help but to wonder what my friends would think about it if they were there with me.   
Forgetting about everything else and remembering I had successfully completed a bounty hunt on my own, I pushed myself to my feet. I had also realized the flaws in my technique, and once I worked on the strategy and practice, I would improve.   
I had a few bruises here and there, and I was definitely drained and exhausted. However, I headed back to Hammerhead with a smile plastered on my face.

 

I felt a great satisfaction when I received my reward, feeling for the first time like I absolutely earned it. Like the victory was all thanks to me since I had been the only one there. That time I didn’t have my friends with me yet I handled it on my own quite well.  
“There ya are!” Cindy’s voice startled me, as I wasn’t expecting her to leave the garage and enter the diner.   
“What’s wrong?” I asked her, noticing how she was frowning and seemed upset.   
“Been lookin’ all over for ya!” The girl made a face and placed her hands on her hips in clear annoyance. “Where you been, gurl?”   
“Hunting…” I was greatly surprised by her apparent concern. “I just got back”   
“And you got hurt” Cindy sighed, taking my wrist and making me walk with her. “I’ll fix ya up in no time!”   
We both headed to the garage, where she sweetly smiled at me encouragingly and sat me down in a small pile of boxes as she went to gather the first aid kit. I chuckled a little when I realized I was somehow like a car, since the grease-monkey girl would fix me like she did all those vehicles.   
“Gotta tell me ‘fore you run off like that!” Her thick accent announced that she was already coming back. “If Paw-Paw found out I let one of the prince’s friend get hurt…”   
“You are under no obligation of looking after me”   
“I wanna! Gotta take care of a pal like ya”   
I observed her, surprised yet delighted by her endearing kindness. Completely selfless and honest concern for my wellbeing.   
Cindy tended to the cut in my cheek and the scratch in my arm, which were bleeding a little, and easily covered it with gentle yet determined hands. She was no expert like Ignis, but it did the trick.   
“There ya go” She smiled when she was finished. “Lookin’ better”   
“I will tell you before I leave the garage next time, Cindy” I mumbled, still shocked by her generosity. “I wouldn’t want you and Cid to worry”   
“That’d be swell” She nodded, agreeing with my idea. “And don’t go runnin’ off now and doin’ anything dangerous”   
“I won’t” I smiled back, promising myself I would be sensible about my hunts.   
Once done, I stood up and awkwardly smiled at her before going back to the caravan. I was too dazed by such unexpected interaction to say anything else to her. So I just spent the rest of the day training and excitedly checking my phone for more messages, yet there came none from the busy boys.

 

The third day I decided to take it easy. All the straining from the battle with the sabertusks had left me sore and tired, to the point that I was almost as drained as when I trained with Gladio.   
I wouldn’t waste the day, however. I would train –both to improve my stamina and my combating skills –and try to figure myself out, as well as perhaps chat with Cindy. I never truly thanked her for being so caring and attentive towards me the other day, even if I knew it was partly due to the fact that I was Noctis’ friend. Yet it was a sweet gesture nonetheless.  
I left the caravan and looked for her around the garage, even if Prompto was the one on my mind. I had dreamt with him again last night, definitely triggered by the adorable text that he sent me. And this dream shared similarities with the other dream regarding their adorable and intimate nature.  
As I walked to the garage where they kept all the cars, I tried to mentally answer all the questions that piled up inside my mind concerning Prompto. I wondered if my brief and provisional decision of staying friends was the right one. I wondered whether I would regret it as soon as I saw him in person again, strongly craving his affection. I tried to imagine myself actually dating him, picture myself being embraced by his arms and kissed by his lips. A pleasant chill overcame me, as well as those well-known butterflies that were starting to feel familiar and welcoming, inviting almost. How could I reject all of that when I craved it so much? Yet again, how could I risk ruining the relationship we currently had and obtain nothing in return? Love was such a complicated subject!   
“Hey, kid” Cid was sitting there, even if I didn’t notice as I passed him by until he announced his presence.  
“Good morning” I greeted him, stopping to see if he wanted to say something.  
“I see Cindy was right, you got hurt yesterday” His eyes fixed on my cheek, there where a band-aid covered my superficial wound. Self-conscious about it, I timidly covered my cheek with my hand.  
“It is nothing of importance” I pursed my lips together as I held his stern glance.   
“Better watch out, don’t do anything dangerous” The man stubbornly shook his index finger as he pointed at me with it. “And don’t be scared to ask for help either”   
“I wouldn’t want to impose or bother you” I tilted my head at the thought of troubling them, especially considering we weren’t that close.   
“Nonsense” He huffed, shaking his head. “That’s what friends are for”   
“To annoy them?”  
“Yeah, you’re not bothering if you ask a friend for help, it’s a friend’s duty”   
Cid’s words caused my eyebrows to shot up in surprise and realization. He might not have realized it, but I found them to be extremely wise and true.   
“You’re right”   
“Course I’m right!”   
“Have you seen Cindy?” I changed the subject, even if smiling widely.   
“She’s in there” He pointed at the garage where I was headed to in the first place. “Go say hello”   
“Thank you” I politely nodded my head before walking in that direction, immersing myself in the dark garage. “Cindy?”   
“Here!” Came her response, just as I spotted her sticking her head over the hood of a car.   
“I… never really thanked you for yesterday” I began to say, quite embarrassed about it. “It was very sweet of you to look after me like that”  
She chuckled at my comment, firmly closing the hood of the car and cleaning her hands in a rag that hung nearby.   
“No need to thank me!” She walked over to me, her heels clicking against the ground.   
“Guess that’s what friends are for” I shrugged my shoulders, still smiling at her.   
“Right! Was about to say just that”   
“Still, I appreciate it”   
“Didn’t need to come all the way here just to say that, gurl” Cindy smirked a little, sweetly.   
“Can I ask you a question?”   
“You’re a curious lil cat, aren’t ya?”   
“I just want your opinion” Seeing as she was the only girl I talked to other than Iris, and without having the boys around to hear us, I truly wanted to ask. It might seem irrational to be exposing such personal thoughts to someone I wasn’t so close to, yet that was precisely the point. Cindy wouldn’t exactly know the context and had no compromise in answering, yet her responses would prove to be useful.  
“Shoot then”   
“Have you ever been in love?”   
“Can’t say I have” Cindy tapped her finger against her bottom lip, thoughtful. “Maybe in love with my work”   
“Right…”   
“They do say love is the most wonderful thing, so I wouldn’t let it go if I found it”   
That left me astounded because of how important and true that statement was. Yet it didn’t assure that Prompto reciprocated my feelings, in which case I would embrace my love for him. But it wasn’t that easy, was it?  
“I will try to keep that in mind” I said as I waved goodbye at her and left the garage. “I will be back in a while, don’t worry too much”   
I started to walk into the distance, looking for some shade so I could train, perhaps under a big tree. My phone rang as I walked, so I nimbly pulled it out and hoped it was a text from who I thought it would be. I was right.  
Mornin’, buddy! Hope I didn’t wake you up! Here’s a smiling me so hopefully I pass it on to you and then it’ll be a smiling you! =DDDD  
Right under that completely adorable text he sent a picture of himself, alone, posing with an adorable and broad grin. How I missed that boy.   
I rolled my eyes, silently scolding myself for becoming so stupidly happy over something like that. I opened the camera in my phone and took a selfie –something I never thought I would end up doing as I found it so silly, but it was for Prompto and so I resigned myself just to make him happy –posing with a big smile and making a peace sign with my fingers.  
I took a good look at the photo in my screen before sending it. I was squinting my eyes because of the sun, but other than that I didn’t look too awful. I just hit sent before I could change my mind and wrote a small text after it.   
Here’s a clumsy attempt at a selfie, hope to make you proud!  
I observed the dots in the screen restlessly, waiting until he was done typing. His response came soon afterwards.   
Hahahah that’s awesome! You look great, Alex!  
I pursed my lips not to grin widely as I pictured Prompto excitedly and proudly showing my selfie to Noct, Iggy and Gladio. If I knew him as well as I thought I did, he would definitely be doing that at the moment.   
I decided to say something else, wanting to keep the conversation going before I immersed myself in some arduous training.   
Thanks! I hope you’re all doing okay =)  
The dots appeared again as Prompto typed, and I was surprised by how quickly he finished and sent the text back.  
Been a couple of hectic days, but we’re a-okay! Hbu?  
‘Hbu’?  
Sorry! How about you? =P  
Oh, Prompto, such a lovable nerd. I bit my lip when I realized he was doing it again, without even being there. He was bringing out a much more relaxed and casual side of me, one that mirrored him and I was starting to enjoy and embrace.   
I’m alright, hopefully I’ll be able to get back to you all very soon  
Can’t wait! Are you still in Hammerhead? How are Cid and Cindy treating ya?  
They’re lovely! They take good care of me (make sure to tell Ignis, so he doesn’t worry)  
Will do! So… did Cindy say anything about me?  
I froze for a moment, wondering whether I should tell him we spoke about him or not. Testing my friendship approach, I decided to admit it and analyze his reaction. I hesitated for a moment as my thumbs hovered over the keys, but I soon made up my mind and started typing. It made me wonder if seeing those dots was making Prompto anxious.   
She did! Cindy said you’re cute and very nice =D  
I awaited his response, wishing I was there to see his actual expression and reaction. He must have been excited by the revelation, because he made a few typos next.   
OMG, forreal?! Wow! I wouf.nt have expected to hearthat!  
I smiled sadly, slightly disappointed by his excitement about it. But for the moment I was his friend, and I was happy for him.  
I know! Was all I came up with as a response, quite plain and snippy.   
Oh! Iggy is asking me to tell you this: ‘please reach us some time, merely to update on your current status’ are his exact words. The man’s worried, Alex! XD  
I smiled in spite of myself, charmed even by his goofy banter.   
I promise I will call soon, for now I have to go train.   
K! Ttyl! I deciphered those abbreviations and realized he meant to say ‘okay, I will talk to you later’. It made me smile again.  
Have a nice day, and please be careful!   
You too, take care!   
With a permanent smile on my face and the feeling that my day was made, I saved my phone on my pocket and proceeded to do some target training and some sword wielding. I needed to keep in shape.

 

The fourth day I was starting to find the sudden routine a bit tedious. After being exposed to a new adventure every day for so long, I found myself missing it.   
After that day, everything started mixing together as I did the same thing every day. I woke up in the same place, wandered around Hammerhead, chatted with Cindy and went to the diner for some food and hunts. Then I completed said hunts, I trained –at least focusing in different types of training to have some variety –and went to sleep, just to get back to the start again the next day.   
Luckily, my fighting skills had greatly improved and I was quite proud of that achievement. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite make my mind up about Prompto.   
He hadn’t texted me for almost two days, and while I imagined they were busy, I truly missed his daily texts as well as his selfies with the others. I found that they made my day and I was left slightly sad and incomplete without them.   
I was positive that what I felt for him was love, an intense and strong emotion. And that I wanted to be beside him, no matter how. Perhaps merely as friends if things didn’t work out between us, I would have to look into it to discover whether he liked me back or not and when I did I would act on it. Yes, that sounded like a smart plan. For the time being, I had started to get used to the butterflies and chills that evoking him caused me and they didn’t alarm me as much. Yet it was still to be seen how these effects would evolve once he was next to me again. If the mere thought of his existence while being apart from him caused chaos inside of me, those would only multiply in his presence. Even if I had tried to control them or calm my giddiness these days.

 

One day I was at the diner, looking for a challenging hunt that would prove worthy of my time, that would make me stronger and defy my skills. Just then, my phone rang with an incoming call. I smiled when I saw Prompto’s name on screen as well as the photo I had established as his contact picture, the one that he sent me of him smiling.   
“Hello?” I replied, eager to hear his lovely and upbeat voice.   
“Alex!” His cheerful tone replied. “Can you talk? Is this a good time?”   
“Absolutely! I’m not doing anything at the moment!”   
“Cool, heh” How I had missed that small chuckle as well. “We all wanted to talk to you, check on ya”   
“I’m doing okay” I started to narrate, delighted to be talking to him.  
“Aha” He uttered to let me know he intently listened.   
“I’ve been working hard these days and I honestly feel achieved and-“   
“Hey!” Prompto complained of a sudden, his voice becoming distant as though he was separating himself from the phone. “Noct!”   
“Alex, what’s up?” There came Noctis’ voice, who I supposed had snatched the phone away from Prompto’s hands. “You’re taking your time out there”  
“A work well done needs time” I laughed a bit, realizing how much I yearned for his playfulness as well, for our friendly teasing.   
“Really? What are you doing anyway?”  
“Training, mostly”   
“Way to be boring…” Noctis sighed for a moment, pausing, before speaking up again. “Wait, Specs wants to talk to you”   
I heard the phone being moved around, as well as Prompto’s complaints in the background while he asked for his phone back to talk to me. I giggled picturing the scene of the four of them travelling in the car fighting to take Prompto’s phone.   
“Alexandria” Hearing Ignis’ calm voice brought me an unexpected comfort that I didn’t know I needed. “Is everything alright? Are you making some progress in your endeavor?”  
“Quite so” I grinned proudly, even if he couldn’t see me. “I intend to reunite with you guys soon”   
“I’m glad to hear that, we’ve been missing your presence”   
“Is that so?”   
“Certainly, we’re lacking that elegant feminine presence on our side”   
“I see” I chuckled, amused by his usual charming personality.   
“Hang on, Gladio would like to speak to you as well”   
“Okay” As he passed the phone yet again, I felt extremely important and tiny at the same time, like a child that’s left the nest and has their family checking on them.  
“Hey, Alex” Came Gladiolus’ deep voice. “Gotta ask you something”   
“What is it?”  
“You didn’t leave because of me, right?”   
“What… do you mean, Gladiol… Gladio?”   
“Iggy told me that you felt helpless after our fight with Titan, and I remember the things I said to you that day”   
“Gladio…” I tried to interrupt him before he could dwell on that. It was nearly a week ago, I had forgotten about it. I wasn’t bitter about that anymore, I had become stronger and more capable. And although with a slightly aggressive and harsh approach, Gladiolus had spoken but the truth.   
“I’m sorry, kid, I never meant to belittle you”   
“It’s okay, no harm done”   
“You sure?”   
“Positive”   
He didn’t speak at first, forcing an uncomfortable silence on the line. Until he eventually piped up again.   
“Don’t go doing something stupid now, you hear?”   
“Of course not”   
“I’m putting you on speaker now” Gladio said after a short pause. “So we can all hear you”   
“Hello, boys” I said to them all, smiling fondly. “I should meet you again soon, I can’t wait to see you”   
“Us too!” Prompto exclaimed quickly, before they could all talk over each other.   
“See you soon!” Noct said too.   
“Please be prudent, Alexandria”   
“Yeah, take care, kid!”   
“You too!” I realized then they were my family, they had become like siblings and I loved them as such. I was hit with a wave of affection toward them four. “I… I love you guys!”   
“Aw!” All of them chorused in response, varying in tones and volume. Feeling mortified by such a cheesy line, I grimaced to myself and shook my head.   
“I have to go, bye!” I hurried to hung up and forget I ever said that. Not that I didn’t meant it, but it was the first time I ever announced my affections so openly to anyone. It felt embarrassing and almost uncomfortable.   
In an attempt to get my mind off such occurrence, I kept looking at the hunt posters. And I soon found one that caught my eye.   
Behemoth. It was risky, yet the reward was abundant and it would be the perfect challenge to exhibit how ultimately strong I had become. The last test before I could rejoin the party.  
After all those hunts, despite having gone after all kind of creatures and having earned a humble hunter fame, I wasn’t completely satisfied. Even after acquiring decent skill both with my sword and my gun and improving my stamina and strength. Hopefully, the Behemoth hunt would give me that feeling of satisfaction I was seeking.  
I merely warned Cindy about my leaving for a hunt, like I did every time, and prepared for the definite battle. 

 

What was I thinking? I must have been out of my mind to think facing a Behemoth alone was a good idea! Even after taking the precaution of replenishing my curatives and ammunition.   
I had lost track of time, wondering how long I had been fighting for. Or walking ever since the behemoth was finally defeated. It felt like hours and hours on end, but I had no way to confirm that my perception was correct. Only by the low height of the sun I could tell that at least three hours had passed.  
My body shook with the effort, adrenaline and tiredness. My muscles screamed in pain because of the immense strain I had put them through. I knew I was bruised and injured, yet my body felt so numb and sensitive at the same time that I couldn’t tell where. I was also too frantic and agitated, far too much to remember where the behemoth had reached me when it attacked back.  
My phone had started ringing at some point during the battle, and I was just hearing it now that the behemoth was defeated. I felt too exhausted to even pick it up.   
I had been forcing myself to keep on walking, to put one foot in front of the other on my way back to Hammerhead, there where I would be safe again. I was solely moved by the paranoia that some other monster could attack me if I rested.  
However, I plopped down on the ground, worn out and drained from all vitality, after several minutes of exhausting walking. Even if I did with such force that I wondered whether I had fallen or not.   
I waited to give my weary body a rest, but the sound of my accelerated breathing and the pulsations of my heart against my skull were making me squeamish. I wondered if there was something wrong with me when I tried to stand up and found I couldn’t.  
I closed my eyes and leaned my back against a big boulder that happened to be behind me as I focused on slowing down my quick breathing. It didn’t work.  
My phone kept ringing, and the constant noise was starting to irritate me. But I didn’t have the strength to get it out of my pocket and answer the call even if I wanted to. Neither did I want to talk with anyone, honestly. I merely let it ring, not bothering to end the call to silence the noise either.  
I frantically turned around, however, when I heard footsteps. Perhaps the sound of my phone had attracted someone’s curiosity. If they were to attack me, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself.   
“Found her!!” Prompto’s voice was very loud and urgent.  
Wait…  
Wait, Prompto? What was he doing there? Did Cindy have anything to do with this? Did I take too long to come back and she had worried? Perhaps called them?   
My exhausted brain didn’t give it too much thought, I was just content with having someone to get me to safety. To a comfortable place, hopefully a bed where I could rest and sleep.  
I didn’t really know why, but Prompto’s hollering annoyed me. It felt like my whole body was sensitive and alert, probably due to the adrenaline produced during the fight.   
Noctis was the first one to appear by my side, making great use of his warping powers. He placed a hand on my shoulder and examined me carefully.  
“You okay?” He asked, his pale blue eyes piercing me in concern. I nodded, too exhausted to speak up. Truth was, I didn’t feel so good. It was probably just the tiredness catching up to my body after the danger was gone, but I felt numb. I felt feverish and light-headed, I felt weak and faint.   
“Let’s go with Gladio and Ignis” The two of them grunted as they pulled me to my feet and supported my weight. Prompto’s eyes didn’t leave me as the three of us began walking.  
We could see the other two running our direction, quickly separating the distance between us.   
I felt the blond’s hand in my back as we moved, almost making sure I stood on my feet. Perhaps I was wobbling and not aware of it.   
“Alexandria!” Like a protective father, Ignis took me by the shoulders and looked me up and down. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?!”  
“I’m fine” My voice gave me away, it sounded hoarse and raspy. An unpleasant sound. “Just tired”   
I noticed the glances the four of them exchanged. Or should I say the three of them, since Ignis’ green eyes were focused on me still.   
“Did you actually face a behemoth?” Ignis uttered in shock.  
“Dude, you fought a freaking behemoth?!” Prompto exclaimed in my ear. I grimaced and shrunk into Noctis’ body to get away from his loudness.  
“I never thought you could be so reckless!” Just with that first sentence Ignis uttered, disappointed and gravely, I could tell yet another lecture was coming my way. I hung my head low, too tired to talk back or to even pay attention. “You should be clever enough to know your limitations, to be aware of your skills and not act foolishly. You shouldn’t have gone alone!”  
Because I was weak, because I was not strong enough, right? Because I wouldn’t be able to protect myself without their backup and hold my own. That was exactly why I did it, because I wanted to change it. And I did! I defeated the behemoth on my own!   
“Iggy, ease up” Noctis intervened to my surprise, trying to calm him down.   
Our friend was definitely worried, even if he wasn’t yelling or losing his temper. But there was a hint of nervousness in his calm speech. He became silent, but didn’t let go of my shoulders at first. Until he sighed and cautiously let go of me, taking a step back. The sudden silence unsettled me, only more when I grew aware of the sound of my own loud heartbeat resounding in my ears. Of my ragged breaths that I wasn’t aware of.  
“That was a pretty stupid thing to do, Alex” Gladio told me, in what I thought was an attempt to keep Ignis at ease. It worked.   
“She’s fine” Noctis spoke up again, motioning with his arm. “Let’s go back”   
I glanced at Prompto, noticing how quiet he had been. His thin brows were furrowed but his expression relaxed when he locked eyes with me and noticed I was staring. Then he forced out a tiny smile that couldn’t compete with his usual genuine ones.   
His hand lingered on my back as we continued our way. I suddenly wished he was holding an arm around me instead, because my legs buckled under my own weight. I gasped when my vision blurred and I was suddenly drained from all my remaining energies, so much so that I couldn’t stand. My hands flew to the side of my stomach as an intense pang of pain arrived to that area, making me cry out.   
“Guys!” Prompto shouted in my ear, scared, as he held me up clumsily. Luckily, his lean arms were fast enough to stop me from falling when I was unable to hold my stance anymore. His intention was to use his torso as my support point, but the inertia was causing me to slowly fall to the floor anyway.  
Prompto resolved to sit down in the floor with me, letting me lean on him. At least my head on his shoulder helped a little when everything started spinning around me, even if the thump of his heart against my ear and his quick breaths upset me.   
“You’re bleeding!” Noctis exclaimed in horror.  
I looked down to my hands to confirm that, indeed, they were covered in crimson blood. The sight made me queasy, so I closed my eyes tight. I hadn’t even realized I had such a deep wound.  
“Noct, bring the car!” Ignis instructed hurriedly. I immediately heard the sound of my friend warping away as he obliged.  
“We need to get her somewhere safe” Without thinking twice, Gladio tore me away from a very shocked Prompto and carried me in his arms instead. His big and muscular arms made me feel safe and comfortable, the touch of a friend.  
The four of us moved in the direction where Noctis would bring the car so we’d met halfway there. I wondered if I could stay awake until that happened, because a sudden drowsiness was taking over me.   
“Eyes open, Alex” It had been a long time since I heard Ignis’ voice so gentle and tender, like he was talking to a child. He didn’t call me Alex often either.  
I smiled a little at the memory of being looked after by him when I was younger, when he used that exact tone with me. And paternally stroke my hair and give me gentle smiles.   
It all probably had to do with the fact that I was a bit delirious.   
“Did you fight the freaking thing alone?” Gladio demanded to know, outraged.   
“I thought you had retreated!”   
“I didn’t” I whispered, too weak to speak louder. “I confronted it”   
“Why would you do that?!” Prompto shouted, panicking.  
“To make myself stronger”   
“But you’re hurt!”  
“But I killed it” I grinned stupidly, closing my eyes in exhaustion. “That makes me stronger, right?”   
“R-Right…” His voice softened a tad, just to be replaced with a strange sadness.   
“She’s losing a lot of blood…” Ignis uttered, probably to the others. But I heard him. “Stay awake, darling!”  
I wanted to oblige, but I just couldn’t. I felt myself drifting into a deep slumber that I had no way of escaping from.   
Someone’s hand held my own, but I did not know whether it was Prompto’s or Ignis’. Judging by how badly they shook, I thought it was Prompto’s. I didn’t mind, his touch brought me great comfort, and I embraced that thought as I gave in to the exhaustion.


	12. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once reunited with the boys, Alexandria recovers from her wounds as they travel to to Cape Caem. Things seem normal until Prompto tells her something that changes everything.

Something around me was extremely close and warm. Someone was keeping me tightly against their chest with secure arms. Startled by waking up to this, I pushed my hands against them to try and free myself. A sleepy noise came in response as they rapidly let go of me, making me look up to their face.  
“Prompto?” I asked, drowsy and confused.   
“Alex!” My friend mumbled in surprise. “You okay?”   
“What are you doing?” Although I had many questions, that was the first I wanted answered.  
“Oh, you… you had a fever” He chuckled awkwardly. “It was the only way we would get you to stop shivering”   
To be quite honest, I still felt quite feverish and delirious indeed. Embracing the comforting position we were in, I rested my forehead against his collarbone. It seemed to stabilize my light-headed and weary mind.   
“Do you want me to leave? Now that you stopped shaking…” His voice was extremely soft and soothing, which helped me in my unwell state.  
“Mmm… no…” I shook my head and snuggled closer to him, needing that closeness.   
“Are you feeling okay?” He worried, timidly wrapping his arms around me again and looking down to me with kind eyes.  
I just shook my head yet again, frowning as I was feeling extremely sick. I didn’t want to move nor speak, and I didn’t want him to move or speak. It felt like my body would complain if we moved just an inch, like it would trigger a surge of pain and discomfort all over me.   
“Do you need anything? Want me to call Iggy?”  
“Sh…” I realized I had started shivering again and I couldn’t stop it. “I just want to sleep”  
It was probably because of the fever, but I didn’t feel well. It worsened with each passing second. I had a headache, and everything seemed to be spinning around me even if I had closed my eyes. My body felt extremely sore and weak, and it burned here and there where I was wounded. My stomach also felt queasy. Not to mention that I was very cold, but at least Prompto’s proximity helped with that.  
When he noticed I was shaking again, he kindly tightened the embrace. He gently shoved me closer to his chest and squeezed his lean arms around me to try and provide me with his warmth.   
“Go to sleep, Alex” He whispered in a calming tone. “I’ll stay here with you”   
I cuddled over myself while I also snuggled closer to him until we couldn’t possibly be any closer. Being there with him seemed to be the only thing right at the moment.   
I started to feel drowsy when his fingers gingerly brushed against my back, relaxing me. I fell asleep soon after.

 

When I awoke next, I was feeling much better. I was still weak and unwell, but not nearly as much as before.   
I opened my eyes and looked up to see Prompto’s face. He was fast asleep, his mouth slightly open as he breathed in and out. It made me smile thinking that he had been looking after me like that. He was so sweet and caring.  
Carefully not to wake him up, I tried to release myself from his arms in order to stand up. I needed to move and stretch a little, as it felt like I had been lying down there for hours on end.   
“Alex?” But I had woken him up despite my efforts. “Where you going?”   
“I need some fresh air” I whispered as I took my time to sit up.  
“Let’s go then” Prompto hurried to stand up first and ran to my side of the bed to help me to my feet as I sat down.   
He stood there, sleepily rubbing his eyes, as he patiently waited until I had managed to successfully sit up without awakening the pain of my wounds. Then he took both my hands and slowly pulled at them. My friend gasped in fright when I complained and grimaced. When I sat up straight, all my wounds and sore muscles had sent a collective pang of pain all over my body. Even if I tried to move slow and carefully not to.  
“Are you okay?!” Prompto exclaimed, immediately sobering up.  
I remained motionless until the wave of pain passed, shutting my eyes tight. Then I locked eyes with him and nodded in response to his question, exhaling when I was relieved from the ache. Upon seeing his upset expression, however, I forced a poorly managed smile to reassure him.   
“Iggy’s gonna kill you” Prompto joked, although I knew he would definitely be distraught about my current state. And so did the blond.  
“Where is everyone?” I asked, since I was reminded of them.   
“In other rooms” Prompto delicately held me by the waist once I was on my feet, yet with firm hands to properly support me. “We wanted you to rest well”   
Instead of heading to the door that led to the hallway of the hotel we were in, he went to the balcony. I obliged, taking my time not to worsen my pain.   
With his free arm, he opened the door. Immediately, the nocturnal breeze enveloped us. It felt refreshing and liberating, almost like I could breathe better. We both stepped outside, still holding onto each other, and stood there to rejoice in the pleasant wind.   
“Better?”   
“Yeah”   
It also calmed me, as they had been very stressful and frantic days. Knowing I was back with my friends made me feel safe and at ease again. The feeling of peril and loneliness I had been constantly experiencing lately during the hunts had completely vanished, even though I hadn’t been truly conscious about it until it was gone. I felt completely tranquil and serene, and decided to ignore the slight deliriousness that carried on from when I was awake last.   
Needing his touch more than ever after being apart for so long and everything I had been through, I propped my head against his shoulder. Prompto tensed up under me and started stumbling over his words, to which I interrupted him.   
“Thanks, Prompto” I smiled, closing my eyes and enjoying such a perfect moment.   
“Thanks?” He chuckled, relaxing his stiff posture. “For what?”   
“For everything”  
“I… think you’re still a little feverish, Alex. Heh”   
“I’m serious”   
“Well… You’re… welcome, I guess”   
I took my head off his shoulder and stared at him, being hit with realization with how much I had missed him. I didn’t want to leave him ever again. I couldn’t wait to see the others too, but Prompto… He just had a different effect on me.   
Overwhelmed by an intense fondness projected towards him, I found myself leaning closer to his face. And before I could stop myself, my lips had made contact with his cheek in a light and gentle peck.   
He instantly started to blush, a bright pink tone taking over his entire face as he slowly turned his head to me, wide eyed. Equally mortified by the broad and open gesture of affection, I chuckled nervously and looked down. I shrugged my shoulders in a futile attempt to take importance out of it. I glued my eyes to the ground, not bearing the thought of facing him.   
“I do feel slightly feverish, actually” I gulped, using that as an excuse to my behavior.  
I moved to head inside, also pretending to be chilly. At first I was slightly taken aback by the fresh breeze, but I wasn’t cold anymore. A sudden warmth had engulfed me without a warning as soon as my lips made contact with his face.   
“Alex, wait” Prompto’s hand tenderly wrapped around my wrist, in such a gentle grip that it was almost as though he was merely resting his hand there.   
Reluctant, I lifted my glance, not looking into his eyes yet.   
“Oh!” I gasped when I was attracted to him unexpectedly. His arms had enwrapped me gingerly, hugging me closely yet not tight enough to worsen my wounds. I stood there in shock, resting against him as my face naturally leaned on his shoulder with the force he attracted me towards him with.   
The embrace was so comforting, so familiar and pleasant. Once over the initial shock, I didn’t want to ever let it end. It felt like a home of its own, like it was there where I naturally belonged. Like being held by his arms was where I always wanted to be, because it felt right and cozy. Like our bodies were made to perfectly fit with one another.  
“I’m so glad you’re okay” As he spoke, his chest heaved a big sigh.   
There was a hint in his voice that conveyed so many emotions. Relief and happiness, concern that had been released through the exhale, as well as that softness and energy that he somehow always put together and emanated from his persona.   
Lying my head on his chest and resting my cheek against his collarbone, I locked my arms around his torso as well. Again, the felt right.   
We lingered on the embrace for so long that I lost track of time. Perhaps because I was so comfortable that it felt timeless, like we were the only people in the world.  
Both pulling apart at the same time, our glances met. Prompto’s hands softly rested on my hips, and mine leaned on his chest. All with the excuse that I was still weak. Surely, I appreciated some support but… it wasn’t why we were so close to each other.  
As I had anticipated, the butterflies that I had been trying to grown accustomed to these past days intensified with his presence, with his touch and warmth. All the effects within me caused by him just heightened with such closeness.   
I was hypnotized by his vibrant yet tender azure eyes, by the softness and sweetness exerting from them. By the look of utmost fondness in them as he stared back at me. I was quite definitely blushing, but for once I didn’t mind. It was only Prompto and I now.   
“It’s pretty late…” I noticed how his Adam’s apple bobbled in his throat when he gulped, but he tried to hide it with one of his adorable chuckles. “We should get some more sleep”   
I nodded and positioned myself next to him, holding on to his shoulder. Prompto understood that I wanted him to help me get there and he wrapped an arm around my waist again.   
Perhaps showing weakness wasn’t always that horrible, and I shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. That was what friends were for, after all. They gladly helped me just like I would be glad to help them.   
I noticed how carefully he walked, holding me gently as we made our way back, making sure to keep up with my slow pace. When Prompto and I finally made it to the bed, he helped me sit down and went over to the other bed instead.   
We didn’t even need words to communicate. As I stared at him playfully, he knew I was teasing him for being so shy and that I wanted to lie down with him again. None of us questioned why we still craved the closeness, neither did we comment on it.  
Prompto pouted as he sat down with me in the other bed and lied down. I happily did as well, casually resting over his torso as he wrapped an arm around the small of my back and allowed me to rest in his chest. It wasn’t long until I fell asleep again, feeling extremely safe there with him.

 

None of us had moved an inch ever since we lied down. Prompto still rested on his back, an arm around me so his hand was on my waist, the only body part that he moved was his other arm, so that his hand softly fell on my arm, which leaned on his chest.   
I lifted my head off him to glance at his face, hoping to see an adorable and peaceful sleepy expression. I frowned, however, when I noticed how tired he looked. Poor thing must have been worried and stayed awake to look after me ever since they found me. I wondered if he ever got any sleep at all ever since then.   
Gingerly, I moved to be released from his gentle grip. Although I had confirmed over this journey that Prompto was a light sleeper, he didn’t move this time. He must have been truly exhausted.  
I sat up as noiselessly as I could and observed him fondly, feeling grateful that someone as special as him was in my life. Although I was positive that Noct, Gladio and Iggy had been checking on me too while we were asleep, Prompto surely insisted to be there himself to let them rest.   
I managed not to wake him as I headed for the bathroom, where I glanced myself at the mirror and had to hold back a grimace of disgust. I looked awful. My hair was a mess, my face was covered in purple bruises and red scratches as well as a sickly pale color to my skin. I could feel a superficial wound in my forearm that had been treated and bandaged expertly, allegedly by Ignis, just like the deep wound in my stomach.   
I lifted my shirt to reveal the reddened bandage that covered my gash, there where it had been gushing blood. And where, underneath, I probably had a broken rib or two. It felt much better once it was properly tended to, even if it wasn’t completely healed. It might also leave a scar.   
I washed my face and combed my hair to somewhat fix my appearance, knowing that it would have to suffice until I properly recovered. At least I didn’t have any bags under my eyes due to being well rested.   
I walked back to the room, treading lightly, and gingerly covered Prompto with a blanket so he wouldn’t get cold before exiting through the door. I resisted the urge of lovingly glimpsing at him one last time.  
I had noticed some sunlight filtrated through the slits in the balcony door, which meant that it was early in the morning. Perhaps Ignis or Gladiolus were already up –definitely not Noctis -, and I would like to see them.   
As I marched along the hallways, I heard footsteps and looked to see none other than Ignis Scientia there. He looked tired as well, feeble and fed up.  
“Ignis!” I exclaimed, taken aback by his sudden apparition.   
I dreaded the moment of his never ending lecture about responsibility and recklessness, expecting him to remind me how mindless and foolish I had been and how he was greatly disappointed in me, thinking that he had taught me better than that.  
Just then noticing I was there, he walked over to me without a word. I watched him carefully, wondering how long it would take him to start scolding me. But instead, the man sighed heavily and placed a hand on my shoulder.   
“I am honestly so glad to know you’re alright, Alexandria” Ignis sighed again, deeply relieved. “We were concerned for your wellbeing, you were severely injured”   
I felt my stomach turning painfully upon realizing what I had put them through. Keeping them awake, worried out of their minds wondering whether I would recover from my wounds or not. Tending to me while I was suffering from a fever caused by the loss of blood, I just… I felt extremely guilty and stupid for being pigheaded enough to confront a behemoth. I wouldn’t do something as such ever again.  
I threw myself to Ignis and hugged him tight, knowing he wouldn’t. I heard him chuckling fondly as his hands sweetly rested in my back to reciprocate the embrace.  
“I’m terribly sorry, Ignis… It won’t happen again, I shouldn’t have worried you all like that, I… honestly thought I could take on the behemoth”   
“In your defense, you certainly could” Ignis smiled as we broke away. “Albeit putting yourself at the end of your tether”   
I chuckled myself, appreciating his support, and the fact that he wasn’t mad at me.   
“Lesson learned” I shrugged a little, averting my gaze in shame.   
“Do I need to remind you of concepts like responsibility, self-restraint, limitations and sensibility, Alexandria?” The fact that he was back to his usual wit and sass was the ultimate proof that he was definitely not angry.   
“It’s not necessary” I grinned softly, exchanging a fond glance with him.  
“Excellent” He nodded vehemently. “Shall we go outside? We have lots to talk about”   
Missing our interactions, I linked my arm with his as I nodded. Hence, we headed outside of the hotel, being welcomed by the bright and beautiful sun.  
“First and foremost” Ignis began saying before I could ask questions of my own. “Are you feeling alright?”   
“Yes” I replied as we slowly walked to nowhere in particular, just wandering around there. Apparently, we were in an outpost close by to Cape Caem. “Maybe a bit sore, but I feel well rested and mostly recovered”   
“I’m delighted to hear that” He smiled a bit, nodding to reinforce his words. “Anything you would like to know? I imagine you feel quite lost”   
“A tad” I paused as I wondered what I wanted to ask first. “How did you find me, Iggy?”   
“Cindy called us, she was concerned upon seeing you weren’t coming back from one of your hunts” He heaved a sigh. “As well as an intuition of mine, and as we were close, we decided to look for you”   
“I… needed saving again” Unlike the old Alexandria, I wasn’t dwelling on the fact that I was too weak, but about the fact that I was reckless and went through unnecessary peril. “Although I’m glad to be back”   
“Likewise” Briefly, Ignis’ hand squeezed the one that rested over his bicep. “Your absence was quite notable”  
“And what happened while I was away?” I took interest in their endeavors, supposing they had matters to tend to in the meantime.   
“Gentiana told Noct we need to get the ring of the Lucii from Lady Lunafreya”  
“Wait, Gentiana?”   
“She’s a messenger of the Gods, she speaks to Noct as the Chosen King”   
“Oh, I see…” I replied, understanding even though I was quite baffled. “What else?”   
“To put it shortly, we retrieved the Regalia and met a certain Ravus Nox Fleuret” Ignis exhaled tiredly as he adjusted his glasses. “He attacked us, confirming his loyalties towards the Empire. Fortunately, it all turned out alright”   
“Ravus? As in Lady Lunafreya’s brother?”   
“Certainly”   
Ignis turned silent for a moment as he rummaged through his head, searching for the most important events that took place during my absence.   
“We visited Lestallum again, although we were received with bad news… Jared perished to The Empire”   
I stopped walking upon hearing such horrible news, staring at him in disbelief.   
“Jared?” I hadn’t truly spent too much time with him, but he was an endearing and gentle man who helped us, who was loyal to the Crown of Lucis. A kind soul that did not deserve such horrors to fall upon him.  
I tightened my hands into fists, angry at the Empire once again. My hatred directed towards them only seemed to grow more and more with each passing day, as they only committed terrible atrocities like such. And one certain Ardyn Izunia didn’t help with its bad reputation. I was quite positive that the Chancellor was behind all of that.  
“I was uncertain about telling you this, perhaps I should have kept it quiet for the time being” Ignis worried, seeing that I didn’t move from my spot still.  
“No” I calmly said, clearing my throat. “It’s best if I know”   
I appreciated his concern, as usual, but I appreciated more his honesty. I wanted him to be straight-forward and tell me the truth.  
“Now” Ignis dared to break the silence that settled after such shocking discovery. “We were headed to Cape Caem, hopefully to board a boat that will take us to Altissia to meet with Lady Lunafreya”   
I noticed that Ignis was heading back to the hotel after our very small stroll, fearing to overdo it as I was still convalescent.   
“I’m looking forward to finally meeting her” Despite being a royal advisor, I had never properly met her.   
Of course, I had seen her in a few occasions when she came to the Citadel to visit Noctis, but I never had the chance of talking to her. I knew nothing about her until I started hearing more about her from the boys, and she seemed like a lovely and extraordinary lady.   
“Tell me, Alexandria” I caught a glimpse of an amused grin on his lips that disappeared as he locked eyes with me. “Any findings worth mentioning during your adventure?”   
“I learned some things about myself, I grew stronger and perhaps even wiser” I smiled smugly, feeling quite proud about those accomplishments.   
“That is splendid, of course” However, his amused grin prevailed in his mouth. “Any luck with the other matter?”   
I blushed just thinking about approaching the subject with Ignis. I hadn’t quite made any final decisions about Prompto, as I kept changing my mind, but I resolved to just give in to the most logical approach.   
“The smartest thing to do would be to make sure he reciprocates my feelings… Right?”   
Surprisingly, my friend let out a soft chuckle that made me frown in confusion.   
“I agree” With a self-satisfied smirk, he elegantly adjusted his glasses. “Although a mystery, it would be the wise to investigate Prompto’s feelings concerning you”   
I had to purse my lips very tightly not to yelp at the sound of his name being mentioned in the conversation. It confirmed that Ignis knew –which he obviously did, it was Ignis we were talking about –who I was so infatuated with. I supposed it could be quite obvious to anyone, because it couldn’t be Ignis nor Gladio nor Noct despite our close friendship. And judging by our intimate and friendly interactions, anyone could deduce that Prompto and I shared a special relationship. Some might call certain interactions between us flirting, yet if some of it occurred it was never intentional from my part. And if he had, I was too oblivious to notice.  
But I could be referring to anyone! Perhaps someone he didn’t even know! And definitely not to him. Although it was silly to assume that, it was obviously Prompto. I was surprised he hadn’t noticed himself and confronted me about it. Then again, that boy could be too shy about certain subjects.   
“Hey” I hadn’t realized we reached the hotel again until I heard Gladiolus’ smooth voice.   
“Gladio!” I smiled happily when I saw him, jogging over to meet with him again.   
In response, he grinned and opened his arms to engulf me as soon as I was close enough. His strong arms embraced me gently, remembering I was wounded, as they attracted me to his chest. Gladio’s hugs were incredibly warm and enveloping because of how big he was.  
“Glad to see you back on your feet, Alex” His hand softly patted me in the back as we broke away.  
“What happened?!” I gasped when I looked at him and noticed a scar on his face, one which wasn’t there before.   
“You inspired me to fly solo for a while myself” He chuckled, acting casual and nonchalant. “You aren’t the only one that needed to work on yourself”   
I couldn’t possibly think what Gladio could be insecure about, he was so strong and so confident that I found it hard to believe that he would really need to distance himself to solve some issues. Yet I admired his willingness to improve himself as well.  
“But…” I hesitated, not really wanting to insist even if I was still troubled. “How…?”   
“It’s a long story” My friend waved his hand in the air.   
“Well” I resolved to just leave it. “The important thing is you’re okay”   
Smiling widely, he placed an arm over my shoulders and pushed me to his side again. I glanced at Ignis, who smiled fondly at the sight.   
“Alex, there you are!” Prompto suddenly appeared, exiting the hotel. “I fell asleep, I’m so sorry!”   
The three of us observed him curiously. The blond seemed agitated and almost scared, which made me wonder if I should have left him a note for when he woke up and saw that I wasn’t there. It also reminded me of the similar situation of Lestallum, which brought a smile to my face.  
“Why are you so aghast about it?” I replied, calm and entertained by his outrage.  
“I was supposed to take care of you!” Gladio, Ignis and I laughed at the unison.   
“I’m alright, Prompto, there is no need to” I smiled sweetly at him, squeezing his upper arm.   
“I know, it’s-it’s not like you need me to look after you but…” He grimaced, awkward about the heap of words leaving his mouth. “But I just wanted to make sure that you… uh…”   
“Prompto was quite determined to look after you, Alex” Ignis assured, as tough he was stating a fact. I could have sworn the glance he threw me hid something as well. And… were the corner of his lips lifting smugly?   
“He’s freaking out” Noctis’ voice whined, completing our group as he sleepily dragged himself outside. “Woke me up”   
Like it was the most natural gesture in the world, the prince walked over to me and gave me a brief and casual hug, only with one arm as he was too lazy.   
“Let’s get going now that we’re all up” Gladio shoved Noct a little, teasing him.  
It felt great to be back, to be walking beside them again, to see the Regalia in all its splendor. It felt right, like that was where I truly belonged, with them. My friends, my family.   
I was too absent and happy to engage in their conversation as we got in the car. I had almost forgotten how comfortable and cozy that vehicle was. The familiar feeling of the leather and padded seats. Reclaiming my spot in the middle of the back seat, between Gladio and Noct, was satisfying. Going back to a habit I had missed, to a nice routine.  
Except… for the fact that the sitting arrangements changed. Instead of the usual, Prompto and Ignis took the back seat while Gladio and Noct sat at the front. Such a small change seemed to alter my whole world as I was so used to the usual disposition.  
“What…?” I looked up ahead, to the driver’s seat that Noct occupied.  
“Ignis is too tired to drive, we agreed that I would drive today” He replied before I could recover myself from the surprise.   
“And I” Prompto replied with his usual energy, even if he still looked exhausted. “Must resume my duties as your personal assistant”   
I snorted at his goofy remark, gently nudging him in the ribs with my elbow.   
“You don’t have to sit me with me…”   
“You don’t want me to?”   
“I didn’t say that, I just…” In an instinct, I observed Ignis with the corner of my eye. He was too quiet, purposely refraining from making any comments. “It’s enough with Iggy over here worrying needlessly”   
“I’m afraid I haven’t been too subtle” He acknowledged, smiling a bit. Watching him closely, I realized he seemed exhausted as well. I merely hadn’t noticed before because he hid it better than Prompto, who was extremely expressive and his lack of liveliness was more notable.   
Noctis, in the meantime, took his time to start the engine. I realized he was waiting until he felt awake enough to start driving, which was a good call. Then he nodded to himself and we began moving.   
To my right, Prompto let out a big yawn in which he didn’t bother to cover his mouth. I stared at him, unenthused about such sight, and nudged him again.  
“You should get some sleep on our way there” I told him, feeling bad for him.  
“I agree, Prompto” Ignis said with a critic tone.  
“You too, Iggy” I replied, glaring at him before he could answer carelessly. Which he still did.  
“No need to concern yourself with me, dear”  
“Yeah, I’m fine too, Xanders” Prompto winked an eye at me, chuckling awkwardly like he did.   
“I insist, you could lean on my shoulder” I tried it with him first knowing it would be easier to convince him.   
“Nah, I… wouldn’t want to bother you”  
“It’s no bother, you took care of me and now I take care of you”   
“Aw” Noctis replied, allegedly listening to our conversation.   
“You’re tempting me, Alex!” Prompto whined, deliberately ignoring our friend.  
“Then do it!”  
“Are you sure I’m not bothering?”  
“Yes!”  
Even as he carefully rested his head on my shoulder, Prompto groaned in displease. But he soon got comfortable, slightly shifting to sit on his side, and sighed happily.   
“But if Prompto is the one sleeping, who will take the picture?” Gladio joked, giving me what I considered the most smug glance and grin ever.   
“Huh?” The aforesaid asked groggily, not bothering to look up.  
“Huh?” Gladio replied in the same tone, pretending not to understand. I kicked the back of his seat, trying not to make abrupt movements not to bother Prompto, while Gladio and Noct exchanged complementing gazes.  
“Ignis-” I started saying as I turned to him, once accomplished my first goal.  
“Do not bother trying” He replied, crossing his arms over his chest adamantly. Even with his stubbornness, I smiled. I had missed my boys.  
Prompto’s breath tickled my collarbone, and I could hear him snoring softly. He had fallen asleep quickly, the poor boy must have been truly exhausted. Only Noct had such ease to fall into slumber, usually.  
“You two look adorable” Noctis was peeping at us through the rear view mirror.  
“Eyes on the road, Noct” Ignis was fast to warn him.  
“Prom…” I started saying, meaning to shut his silly attempts, when I realized I had called him the wrong name. “I mean, Noct…”   
“Got Prompto on your mind?” Gladio turned on the seat and stared at me.  
I panicked a bit, yet relaxed when I noticed Prompto was fast asleep over me still and couldn’t hear what we were saying. Hence, I held my chin up with dignity and grinned proudly to reply.  
“It was but a mistake, I could have said anyone’s name”  
“But you didn’t, you said Prompto’s”   
“What are you implying?”   
“Nothing…”   
Noctis and Gladiolus made a pause to rattle me with their intense gazes.  
“I believe it is a normal occurrence”   
“Thank you, Ignis”  
“Alexandria probably missed him”   
“Or maybe it’s that you’re flustered because he’s too close to you”   
“Perhaps you’re just reading too much into it” My heart slightly sped up when I grew completely aware of his weight falling over me. Of our close contact. Of a stray lock of soft blond hair tickling my neck and the adorable sound of his low snores. Of his hand, that had fallen on my knee and softly rested there.   
I restlessly yet lightly stirred in my seat while trying to restrain a smile.  
“He missed you too, you know?” Gladio chuckled. “Kept staring at photos of you on his camera”   
“Of course he did” I scrunched my nose, mocking his teasing comment.   
“He has that selfie you sent him as his phone background” Noctis added as well, smirking like only he knew how. Playfully yet sweetly. “Check it if you don’t believe me”   
“Bet she did the same with his photo” Gladio whispered, deliberately loudly for me to hear.   
“Enough, you will wake him up” My cheeks lit up with a sudden warmth that visually showed how embarrassed I felt for all those confessions.   
Eventually, they paid heed to my pleas and stopped teasing me about my mishap concerning Prompto. Even with their silence, those concepts chased me with the possibility that he truly missed me as much as I had missed him.

 

Cape Caem was quite beautiful, as we encountered a lighthouse where the boat to Altissia was supposedly awaiting us.   
Prompto had safely slept in my shoulder the whole way there, and I tried not to think too much about it as reminding it triggered a smile in my face that threatened with not fading. I sweetly woke him up as we were arriving.   
Ignis had dozed off for brief periods of time as well, even if he pretended like he didn’t and would definitely deny it if we mentioned it.   
All of us got off the car and headed for the lighthouse, yet I came to a halt when I realized only Gladio and Ignis were by my side.   
“Noct?” The latter asked him as we turned to them.   
The prince was gripping Prompto’s jacket to keep him back with him, while the blond seemed utterly perplexed.   
“You guys go on ahead” Noctis grinned at us, a tranquil and comforting gesture. “I just gotta tell Prompto something”   
“Leave you to it then” Gladio lead the way, so Ignis and I went after him.   
We started climbing up to the tall lighthouse, following the path. I had the urge to hold on to one of their arms for support, surprised by how extremely tiring such things as going up a slope was for me at that moment. But I proudly refused.  
“It’s quite a long way” Ignis commented, probably taking notice of my panting.  
“Need some help?” Gladio offered, eyeing me as we kept on walking.  
“No, thanks, I’m alright” I guessed I didn’t completely get over my pride problem. “I don’t want you to treat me like I’m made of glass, treat me like you normally would”   
“What? You’re up to some training then?” Gladiolus bumped his shoulder against mine, earning a grimace from me.  
“Not quite, I’m still convalescent” I gave in to his efforts, knowing it was precisely his intentions.   
“That’s what I thought” Without saying anything else, Gladio wrapped an arm around me and pushed me to help me up, almost lifting me off the ground.   
It made me laugh out loud because of the ridiculous ease he moved me with even if I was opposing resistance. He also laughed, just like Ignis. Soon enough, we were there at the lighthouse, slowly making our way to the top of it to admire the beautiful view. I couldn’t help but thinking that it would make for a perfect photograph.   
“We’ll leave as soon as Noct is ready” Ignis told me, aware of the fact that I wanted to stay at that spot for a bit longer. “He’ll be looking forward to seeing Lady Lunafreya”   
“Alright, don’t leave without me” I tenderly smiled at them.  
“Not making any promises” Gladiolus joked, fondly messing my hair up.  
Hence, they left me on my own so I could immerse myself in such beauty. I secretly recovered from how tiring climbing up that small hill had been, despite Gladio’s help.  
I noticed Prompto and Noctis catching up with us, although they seemed to be arguing. I couldn’t quite hear what they were saying, but I did catch a shrill ‘Noct!’ that the first one let out in complaint. The aforementioned nudged him a little and pointed at me as soon as he spotted me. I waved just as Prompto’s eyes fell on me, and I chuckled when the three of us cutely waved at each other. Noctis put an arm over his friend’s shoulders as the other one bowed his head down and resigned to keep on walking, probably having to put up with whatever Noctis was teasing him about. I smiled at the thought of them as I allowed myself to get immersed in the relaxing ambiance. 

 

I lost track of time as I closed my eyes and let my body take in the energy that floated in the air, gathering from the unaltered nature.  
Again, things so mundane and simple like a beautiful landscape got me over the moon. I was enchanted with the colors that welcomed me when I opened my eyes. The green of the forested area, the pure blue of the sky, the fluffy white from the clouds.   
“It’s uh… kinda romantic, right?” Prompto’s voice behind me made me jump slightly. I had been so impressed by the view that I barely remembered where I was standing, resting my forearms in the bar of the lighthouse, looking over from the highpoint.   
Looking over my shoulder to him, I dedicated him a gentle smile, figuring he wanted something. Probably to just chat, make small talk to pass the time. Maybe to thank me for allowing him to use me as a pillow for a change.  
“I suppose so” I chuckled, trying not to exteriorize my restlessness.  
His sudden presence had triggered a varied wave of emotions within me, as it always did. My cheeks burned and spread the heat all over my face, my heart sped up in excitement and my hands shook slightly. My brain also seemed to turn to mush as it occupied itself with loving thoughts about him.  
Very awkwardly, he placed his arms behind his back and walked closer to me. He seemed… flustered, as well. I couldn’t really understand why.   
My best guess was that he wanted to address an uncomfortable subject. Perhaps he needed to vent about something that embarrassed him. Whatever it was, I was glad to be of assistance for him.  
He leaned forward, resting his arms on the bar just like me. But he kept his cobalt blue eyes glued ahead, and neither did he speak up. The wind that ruffled our hair filled the silence. I stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to get over his brief pause. He didn’t.   
“Aren’t you going to take a picture of the view?” I decided to start a conversation. “It’s beautiful beyond words”   
“Nah” He shrugged, still not looking at me, even if a shy smile arrived to his lips. “A photo wouldn’t make it justice”   
Prompto lowered his glance until a long strand of blond hair fell over his face, covering his eyes. I secretly admired his beautiful profile.  
“J-just like you, heh” Tilting his head slightly, I noticed how his eyes timidly fell over me. “That’s why I don’t take as much photos of you sometimes”   
His unexpected comment took me by surprise and left me speechless. Luckily, Prompto took the opportunity to fill the silence and finally say what he needed to.   
“I-I’m just gonna say it and… if you… if you don’t… I-I just have to tell you something” He visibly gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “So hear me… let me… let me say it, alright?”   
I nodded, too dazed to manage any sounds. Wide-eyed, I just stared and listened.   
“Alex” He completely turned his body to face me, his tone serious. “I like you… I-I like you a lot”   
As I turned to him as well, I felt how my hand tensed up around the metallic bar I was holding onto, but it was the only thing keeping me from screeching in shock. I remained silent in the hopes that he had something else to say.   
Perhaps it was because of my silence, but he kept on talking.   
“I was wondering if you… if maybe… I don’t know, heh” Embarrassed, he forced himself to lock eyes with me even though he was anxiously and awkwardly scratching his head. “If you… How-how do you feel about that?”  
I opened my mouth, trying to utter any sounds. Trying to reply and reassure him, to stop him going through such a rough moment. I knew he was mortified and I wanted to help him so badly. But my voice wouldn’t respond! I couldn’t speak! I was in shock, my crush reciprocated my feelings!  
“Please say something!” Prompto pouted and held his hands together in desperation. His vulnerable and puppy like expression snapped me out of my daze and I could finally react.  
“You? You like me?!” I laughed out of pure disbelief, I could not believe my ears.   
Prompto frowned, a clear expression of hurt crossing his face. He seemed extremely sad all of a sudden, heartbroken.   
“Oh!” I exclaimed, knowing he had misunderstood. “No!”   
I felt frustrated and stupid, knowing how often we had foolish misunderstandings like those. It was rare for two people that understood each other so well without needing words. It was when we tried to use words to express ourselves that we deceived the other.  
“I’m not laughing at you!” My hand frantically searched his, and I felt myself calming down with his soothing touch. His hands were soft and warm. “I was just… startled!”   
He took a moment to reply, his eyes diverting to look at our intertwined hands.  
“Why?” Prompto spoke softly. “I’m sure I was pretty obvious about it…”   
To be quite honest, the boy wasn’t the most subtle. Surely, I had my suspicions that he liked me back but I never quite believed it. Even if Noctis, Gladio and Ignis were suspiciously amused whenever I was left alone with Prompto or interacted with him. But I just refused to believe in such fantasies, afraid to be badly hurt by the rejection. I was skeptical about that as I was about many other things.  
“That’s not…” I stuttered, trying to put some order my thoughts. For someone quite eloquent, I had become a mumbling mess. “I just find it hard to believe that you can… That I… That I caught your eye”   
“What do you mean?” His voice sounded childish and tiny in an adorable way. He also tilted his head like a puppy.   
“I’m not like…” For a moment I was too proud to say her name, but I spit it out in spite of myself. “Cindy”   
“Why is that bad?” His pureness and innocence made me smile.   
“I’m not pretty… I’m not bubbly or extroverted” I averted my eyes, feeling ridiculous and puerile for voicing such insecurities. “Why would someone like you fall for someone like me? You’re such a ray of sunshine and so bright and energetic while I’m so dull and-“   
“You’re not like that!” Prompto cheerfully said, squeezing my hand, which I had forgotten was holding his. “You’re fun! You’re smart and wise and kind and sweet and calm and…”   
Prompto shook his head, almost as though he was trying to shove the words from his brain and direct them towards his mouth. To express all those emotions and thoughts he had.  
I sighed and smiled, moved by his efforts to make me feel better. But as part of my plan to stop being my former self, I refused to dwell on those insecurities.   
“Thank you, Prompto” I solemnly said with a grateful head nod. “I appreciate it”   
“So is that a no?” His eyes widened, searching my face in panic.   
“About what?”  
“You don’t like me? You don’t…”   
“What? No, no! Say it again, let’s… let’s start over. Ask me again”   
“Please don’t make me say it again!” Prompto whined, nibbling on his bottom lip. “I’ll-I’ll die!”   
I giggled, finding his behavior extremely endearing. His face, however, scrunched up with apprehension still.   
Internally screaming, I told myself to do something I had wanted to do for quite a while now. It was the best way to show him how I truly felt, a way that would not lead to more misunderstandings. The perfect excuse to finally kiss him.  
I looked down to his pink lips, mentally preparing myself and getting ready to do it. They looked so soft, so warm and enticing. I closed my eyes. My heart sped up.  
Using his hand as an anchor, I leaned forward. It took four heartbeats to reach his mouth, but it felt like minutes had passed, like they were so far away that I would never reach them no matter how bad I wanted them. But I did reach them.  
As I expected, Prompto’s lips were warm. They were soft. But I could have never imagined how perfect they were. How they set butterflies free in my stomach, stronger than ever, how it felt like I was floating in a cloud, surrounded by explosions of fireworks, being so stupidly happy that I smiled without wanting to. They weren’t just warm, they were welcoming, almost like the perfect place for my lips to be. They weren’t just soft, they were smooth and made of velvet. They were tender and sweet. They tasted like chocolate, even though I knew it was impossible since I hadn’t seen him eat any. It was probably the sweetness dripping from his own persona that gave such a sugary feeling to them.  
I felt how his fingers laced with mine slowly, savoring the touch, needing the contact and the closeness. I felt how a long strand of his hair tickled my nose when he lightly tilted his head down to turn the soft graze into a full kiss, so his lips fully rested on mine.   
Moving on their own, my lips danced with his in a tender exchange. A breath itched in my throat, reminding me that I need to break away for oxygen. I reluctantly pulled away, taking my time. I frowned with the cold and empty feeling of my lonely lips.   
But then I opened my eyes and planted my heels on the ground, only then realizing that I had stood on my tiptoes to meet him. Even though –despite the fact that he was a bit taller than me –I didn’t really need to.   
All of that probably happened in a few seconds, but to us it felt timeless. It felt like the only things that existed was us. Our hands intertwined. Our mouths meeting. Our hearts beating as one.   
“Wow” I whispered against his mouth, not wanting to move an inch. Not wanting to get away from his warmth, from his softness and his feeling of belonging. He suddenly felt like a home, and I refused to leave that. In fact, my hands moved on their own and rested on his chest as I found that, just like mine, it lightly moved up and down in ragged breaths.   
I dared to look away from his mouth and into his eyes. His vibrant, bright and cheerful cobalt blue eyes. They were shining, a beautiful twinkle on them that could only mean happiness.   
I nibbled on my lip to hide the goofy smile that was tattooed on my lips as I softly held onto his shirt, still needing to feel him close. He chuckled and rested his hands in the small of my back. There was not a reason why, but I chuckled back. I guessed laughter was a sign of happiness. My forehead rested against his as I tried to take all of him I could.   
It was strange, but Prompto brought out a side of me I wasn’t even aware I had within me. A more relaxed, playful, giddy, casual and almost girly facet that surprised even myself. Yet I didn’t mind at all, because he accepted it. He accepted me with all that it implied.  
“Does that mean… we’re dating now?” He whispered, making me let out an actual guffaw out of astonishment to his question.  
“You goof” I giggled, holding his hand tenderly yet securely to confirm it.  
Of course it did.

 

The both of us left the elevator that carried us down, hand in hand, to reunite with everyone else. We secretly held hands as we kept them hidden behind our backs, still quite shy and embarrassed about what happened in the highest part of the lighthouse, no matter how happy it made us.   
Talcott and Iris were standing there in the short metal staircase that led to the bottom floor, so I let go of Prompto’s hand out of shyness. He didn’t seem to mind because he was blushing as well. The both of us waved at them to acknowledge their presence before going to meet with the rest.  
“You’re alive!” A familiar female voice snapped as soon as we walked down the stairs.  
“Cindy!”   
“Gave me a real bad scare, you” The girl was saying, looking me up and down as to confirm I was unharmed, which I wasn’t.  
“Did you come all the way here to check on me?” I uttered in surprise.  
“That’s so sweet!” Prompto smiled, still somewhat smitten by her.   
“Came to help Paw Paw with the boat for y’all, but I couldn’t stay in the garage not knowin’ what happened to ya!”  
“I’m alright” I took a look at my friends, the three boys being there already as well. “They found me”   
“Glad to hear y’all are alright” Cindy dedicated us a bright and warm smile as her green eyes friendly twinkled.  
“Are you staying?” Prompto asked her casually.   
“I think I better skedaddle now” She waved at us as she went to say goodbye to Cid and left.   
Prompto was about to join our friends, who were talking to Cor, yet he stopped when he noticed I didn’t follow.  
“What?” He asked when he saw the gaze I dedicated him, an indecipherable one.   
“Nothing” Of course, I was slightly jealous of the way he looked at her but…  
I just admired how Prompto managed to always see the good in people, and I felt relieved by the fact that I now knew he loved me back. We were together after all, even if I had to get off the clouds to truly believe it yet.  
I was just so enamored with him that I felt how an unwilling loving smile formed in my lips. It made him smile as well, which made me happy. I held on to his arm and brought him with me as we joined Ignis, Gladio and Noctis as they chatted with Cor.   
“Marshall” I greeted him politely, lightly bowing my head.   
“Alexandria” He reciprocated the gesture. “I’m glad to see you’re okay, your friends were telling me what happened”   
“Oh…” I averted my gaze, embarrassed by my foolishness and recklessness.   
“From what I heard, you would make a great Crownsguard” His words caused me to quickly look up at him, bewildered. “Perhaps a Kingsglaive even”   
Prompto playfully shoved his arm against mine, proud of me. I noticed a similar emotion reflected in Ignis’ eyes as he stared at me.   
“I’m flattered by the compliment” I frowned, flustered by all their eyes on me. “But I prefer to leave such important position to more capable people”   
“Not only brave, but modest too” Cor kept preaching, which made me uncomfortable.   
“Can we talk about something else?”  
“Yes, I actually have something I gotta get off my chest”   
“What’s that?” Noctis asked, tilting his head to the side with curiosity.   
“I’m sorry. Sorry I wasn’t there for your father” The Marshall let out a sad sigh, his expression exerting sorrow. “I swore an oath to protect the king, but I wasn’t strong enough to uphold it”   
A loud and heavy silence fell upon us at the mention of the fallen king. It greatly disheartened me to recall those painful events.  
“Ain’t nothin’ nobody could’ve done to stop what happened” Cid’s accented voice erupted.  
His words had an immense impact on me, almost like they were starting to heal an internal wound that had been opened for a long time now. They helped me come to terms with my sadness and feeling of guilt, aiding me forgive myself for failing the king. Just like Cor, I blamed myself for not realizing what was happening. The both of us had wanted to do something, even if we couldn’t.  
“Yeah, I realize that” Noctis mumbled, absently nodding his head. He didn’t seem angry anymore, just… compliant. As though he had come to terms with it. Looking at him at that moment, I felt like he had matured greatly, like for once he seemed older than he appeared and he was on his way to becoming a valuable king.   
“But you need to realize just what you meant to the boys by your side” Cid told him, then glancing at me. “And the girl too”   
“I do” Noct looked at us, with such appreciation and love that I moved a little on an instinct to go hug him. But I restrained myself.   
“Even if they can’t solve your problems, you can’t hide what’s goin’ on from ‘em” Cid’s voice was strangled and pained. “It hurts like hell”   
The man was completely right. Like during my time in Hammerhead, he was speaking words of importance and wisdom. Words that, although directed to Noctis, I engraved in my memory as well.   
“Remember: those ain’t your bodyguards, they’re your family” Cid made a little pause, gathering our complete attention. “Trust in ‘em, always”   
I nodded vehemently, agreeing with him. The boys knew I loved them, cared and appreciated them. Yet they had no idea how much they truly meant to me.   
Realization hit me as I knew… I would die for them, because they were my family.


	13. Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group finally makes it to Altissia, a beautiful and romantic city where Prompto and Alexandria also take a walk on their own. However, they would soon realize, not everything happens as expected.

Something I would have to grow accustomed still would be Prompto’s bounciness and fidgety nature. Especially when he was nervous or especially excited, as he demonstrated as we boarded the boat.   
We sat together awkwardly, dying to snuggle closer to each other yet battling with ourselves. Should we tell the others and face the embarrassing moment that would proceed due to their comments and smugness on the subject? Or should we keep it a secret and only show our affections in private? In all honestly, I preferred the former option as it would be too insufferable to stay away from him once I finally was with him. I was willing to face the embarrassment, as it wouldn’t last long and after that we would be free to be more affectionate.   
I sighed, knowing I was overthinking it. Love shouldn’t be hidden anyway.   
“So did you two kiss?” Noctis was suddenly standing in front of us, arms crossed and smirk present.   
“Noct!” Both Ignis and I exclaimed in outrage, shocked by his insolent remark.   
“Prompto?” He still asked his friend, smiling wider and leaning forward to tease him. The blond flushed bright red and bowed his head down, flustered.   
“Ma-maybe? Heh” I noticed how he sneakily met me with the corner of his eye.   
“I knew it” Noctis triumphantly threw his arms up in the air. “I told you!”  
I gawked at him, wondering if that was what they were ‘arguing’ about on the lighthouse. If Noctis convinced him to tell me and that was the reason why Prompto confessed.   
Perhaps they weren’t teasing us because they believed us to be a good couple, but because they were aware of both our feelings and were evilly waiting for us to get together. Patiently watching things develop, amused at how long it was taking us.   
“There’s no need to get all shy and stuff” Gladio smirked from his spot as he leaned on the side of the boat. “We were looking forward for you two to get it on, so don’t hold back”   
Was family like this, always so obnoxious?  
“You are quite the adorable pair” Ignis smiled softly, giving me a meaningful look.  
“Iggy…” I complained, hating all that attention.   
I glanced at Prompto and had to chuckle at the sight of him. His entire face covered in a bright rose blush as he stared at the ground and awkwardly shuffled his feet.   
“What? Not even a kiss on the cheek?” Gladio was having too much fun with the whole situation.   
To my surprise, Prompto looked up and stared adoringly at me. My eyebrows shot up in astonishment as he engulfed me in his arms and held me tight against him. I couldn’t even be mad at the adorable gesture, knowing he had been holding back for the entire time we were on the boat. Even if it was merely around ten minutes.   
“Can you all stop it?” I was quite positive that I was blushing myself. “I love that Prompto and I are dating now, but you’re embarrassing me! All of you!”   
Reluctantly obliging, they all got back to their business. Ignis stood up from the seat behind us to go chat with Gladiolus. Noct wandered around the boat and said something to Cid –as he was there with us, controlling the boat –every once in a while.  
Even Prompto let go of me and jumped up to his feet. I couldn’t tell whether he was jittery still or just too happy to contain himself, I just observed him fondly as he fidgeted around the boat. His camera shutter kept clicking as he took pictures of the sea non-stop. By that point, that sound had turned almost as familiar to me as was his own voice.  
I leaned back on the seat and closed my eyes, deeply inhaling as I took in the salty scent in the air. I had never traveled by boat –we didn’t get too many chances at it in Lucis –and it was quite a life changing experience.   
Someone plopped down next to me all of a sudden, and I didn’t even have to open my eyes to know who it was. I did, however, in order to meet with his wonderful blue eyes.  
“Wanna take a picture with me?” He asked me with the most dazzling smile he ever showed me.   
“Of course” I scooted closer to him as he pulled out his camera.   
He held it up before us and I prepared to smile as he took it. My plan was foiled, though, when I felt his lips on my cheek. As the picture was taken, I knew my face had been captured as one of sheer shock and bashfulness. He would definitely adore that result.  
“Prom…!” I complained, turning to him and chuckling.  
“S-Sorry! Couldn’t help myself”   
My cheeks were starting to hurt, as apparently I couldn’t stop smiling. I blamed Prompto entirely.   
Sneakily, Prompto planted another peck on my cheek before running away giggling to himself.  
“Pro-Prompto!” I complained again, violently blushing and seething in silence.  
He just looked over his shoulder with the most beautiful smile as he fidgeted around the boat, pulling his camera out and taking even more pictures of the extension of the sea that surrounded us.   
“Excited to see Lunafreya, Noct?” Gladio asked our friend, who shrugged one shoulder.   
“Yeah…” He pretended like he wasn’t eager to meet her again, yet the twinkle in his eyes and the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips said otherwise. “It’s been a while”   
“She also carries the ring of the Lucii, which she has been keeping safe all this time” Ignis stated, dedicating him a teasing glance. “Just for you”   
“Will… Ravus be there too?” Prompto mumbled, saving his camera and making eye contact with Ignis. “Y’know, since his sister will be and all”   
“That’s right” I made a face of displeasure thinking about a possible encounter with Ravus Nox Fleuret. “He attacked you, and apparently he’s working for the Empire”   
“That’s what I mean” Prompto nodded, plopping down next to me yet again.  
“Let’s hope not” Gladiolus suddenly turned somber, which hinted at an especially troublesome clash during their meeting.  
“I do suspect his new power was acquired through dark methods”   
“And that Ardyn has something to do with it” His name wouldn’t leave my mouth without a hint of mockery, almost disgust. Yet he somewhat frightened me as well, merely because of his hidden agenda. He had followed us wherever we went and even pretended to be an ally at first. However, his purpose escaped my understanding, which greatly disturbed me. “What are we to do once in Altissia anyhow?”   
I had spoken up again just to change the subject. An unpleasant chill went through my spine at the thought of the chancellor’s twisted mind. I wanted to avoid dwelling on that subject.  
“Meet Lady Lunafreya, of course” Ignis responded, gesturing with one hand. “And possibly face the Leviathan”   
“Can’t wait” Noctis muttered sarcastically, pouting a tad.  
“Leviathan?”   
“A deity like Titan, Noct’s gotta pass the trails”   
Forcing me to take my eyes away from Gladio while he spoke to me so they would land on him instead, Prompto cheerfully lay his head down on my lap. When I stared at him, he frowned and his expression turned hesitant and cautious in fear that I was bothered by his broad desire of maintaining the physical contact. I comforted him by smiling a bit at him.   
“Hi” Prompto grinned, looking up at me. I would definitely have to get used to his restlessness, that boy had never been so hyperactive. And I had seen him interact with chocobos.   
“Hello” I rested a hand on his hair, too endeared by his precious affection.   
“I can explain it to you if you want” He offered kindly. “Tell you all that happened, we’ve got time”   
“That we do” Gladio chuckled, diverting his gaze towards the never ending ocean.  
“Are you gonna stay like that, though?” Noctis pulled out his phone, smirking again. “Cause then I wanna take a picture”   
“We had to go to three different runestones” Prompto deliberately ignored his friend, despite the fact that he jumped with the flash from Noctis’ phone camera.   
“Quite an ordeal indeed” Ignis backed him up, albeit with an unnoticeable smile for the photo.  
Prompto caught me up in the events that took place while I was in Hammerhead. For the rest of the boat ride, we lingered in that position as we discussed said occurrences, with the help of our friends’ additions and contributions to Prompto’s tale.

 

Altissia was beautiful beyond words, so elegant with its classy and organized streets as well as calming with the water that surrounded it all.   
I felt euphoric as we walked around Altissia, following Noct while he wandered at will. I merely rejoiced in the warm sunlight that gently caressed my skin, in the salt in the air and the wonderful feeling of visiting such a unique place with my best friends, sharing such an incredibly experience.  
“Wow, this place really is something!” Prompto voiced my thoughts as well.   
“Truly delightful indeed” Ignis agreed, letting his emerald green eyes wander around the city landscape.   
“Hey, I heard some people talk about Lunafreya’s wedding dress” Gladio pointed out.   
“Ah, yes” Iggy smiled fondly. “The wedding, I nearly forgot about it”   
I absently listened to the conversation, too fascinated by everything around me as I had never left Lucis before and Altissia was like a magical land before my eyes. The buildings, the shops, even the people seemed interesting!  
“Should we check it out?” Prompto wondered excitedly. “Noct, wanna see the dress?”  
“I guess…” The prince shrugged a bit, neutral to the idea.   
“You seem shy, Prince Noctis” I needed to take advantage of the situation, as I noticed a hint of blush on his pale cheeks at the mention of the ceremony.   
“Cut it out” He frowned as he lay his blue eyes on me.  
“Bet he’s dying to see Lady Lunafreya!” Prompto nudged him, even if his friend softly pushed him away.  
“He’s not especially engaged in the conversation” Ignis seemed very happy about his silly pun, and it definitely made Prom laugh.   
I wondered how Noctis truly felt about Lady Lunafreya. Obviously, he deeply cared about her. They had been friends ever since they were little, when the royal father and son spent some time in her hometown Tenebrae. However, I couldn’t help but to think about what kind of love his heart portrayed. Did he merely love Lady Lunafreya like a sister? Or something more? Were his affections romantic or plainly fraternal? I never really knew, due to spending so much time away from the prince and being stuck in the Council room instead. Yet on those counted occasions that I did catch a glimpse of the two of them being together, I observed a great familiarity among them.   
“Maybe you should call the wedding on again” Gladiolus teased him, although it wasn’t such an awful idea.   
“Become the symbol of peace, a lovely couple as well” I grinned, although sweetly, glancing at Noctis. The corner of his lips curved up as he gently nudged his fist against my shoulder.  
I honestly couldn’t picture Noctis as a groom, actually getting married! Yet the wedding represented a truce, an end to the war between Lucis and Niflheim. Something as beautiful and pure as it was a union between two loving souls was also a promise of peace.   
As we walked, we could hear people commenting on the wedding, the dress, Noctis, Lady Lunafreya… It was certainly a common topic, one that brought them together.  
We soon arrived to the Vivienne Westwood shop, there where the Lady Lunafreya’s wedding dress was displayed for the citizens of Altissia to see.   
“Wow” I uttered as we stopped to look at it through the window display.   
It was completely white, so long that it reached the ground and with independent sleeves as it was strapless as well. Quite an original and unique dress which, added to Lunafreya’s own beauty, would be quite a sight.   
“Everyone looks so happy!” Prompto was amazed by the crowd that gathered around it, filled with glee as they dreamt of such ceremony.   
I looked over to Noct, intending to analyze his expression. There was a tiny smile plastered on his lips as he admired the dress with dreamy eyes.   
“Surely, the wedding would be a blessing to the world” I squeezed his shoulder as I spoke.   
Noctis glanced at me when I did and showed me an amused yet fond expression.   
“I say we look to it as soon as we wrap things up” Gladio suggested, in a romantic mood I had never seen him into.   
“Lovely idea”   
“Yeah! That would be awesome!”   
“Sounds good” Noct chuckled as he kept on walking, setting the path as we followed after him. I still admired the streets of Altissia as we did, not having enough of it.   
Prompto let out a sigh of content next to me, suddenly taking me by the wrist and yanking me towards him so our sides touched as we walked. He was still a bit hyperactive, apparently.  
“Prompto!” I exclaimed in surprise.  
“We should like, go on a date or something!” After my reaction, he backed up a little. “You know, if you want? Be alone for a while? This place is so romantic!”  
“You’re already on a date!” Noctis exclaimed cheerfully, and although it convinced Prompto, his smirk seemed suspicious to me.   
“With all of us” Gladio motioned to the whole group with a movement of his arms.   
“You are a lucky man” Ignis teased him as well.   
I let out a heartfelt guffaw as I turned to Prompto, who was blushing, flustered by their playfulness.   
“I was talking to Alex!”  
“’Course you were”   
“Whaddaya say, Xanders?” Prompto reminded me of a puppy again as he stared expectantly at me, excited and smiley. I took notice of the fact that said loving nickname popped up whenever he felt especially playful or mildly flirtatious, and I adored such a detail.  
“I agree, but you need to calm down” I patted his shoulder kindly. He pouted at my comment, refusing to give up on that energized mood. I resolved to fondly wrinkle my nose at him, to which he grinned before turning to his friends.  
“Do you guys mind? It won’t be long, I promise!” Like an actual child asking his parents for permission.   
“How would we mind?” Noctis carelessly waved a hand in the air. “We’ve been waiting for you two to get together forever now!”   
Prompto slapped his friend’s arm, bothered for such a cheeky comment.   
“We will meet in this very spot in around thirty minutes” Ignis calmly glimpsed at his watch before locking eyes with me and then with Prompto.   
“Don’t be late, lovebirds” Gladio gave us his blessing by pushing us a little so we would leave already.   
“Won’t be!” Prompto began sprinting, forcing me to run after him not to lose him.   
I briefly looked over my shoulder to our friends as they walked away from us. Only Noct was glancing back, and he gave me a thumbs up. It made me smile. However, when I looked ahead again I had lost track of Prompto. Such a fidgety boy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had gotten distracted with something adorable like a puppy or something fun like ice cream. That boy was so precious.  
“Prompto?” I called him, walking along to see where he could have gone to. I looked around in an attempt to spot his blond head or his black clothes, yet there was no trace of him anywhere. “Prompto! Prom-”   
As I passed a corner, someone held me by the arm and pulled at it so I was cornered against the wall, a body pressed against mine to keep me in place.  
“They don’t suspect a thing” There he was, being the huge goofball he always way. I observed him lovingly while he jokingly glanced around us to make sure we weren’t spotted. As tough we were on a secret date mission.  
“They know, Prompto, we literally just told them we-“   
“Sh!” He shoved an index finger against my lips and another against his own. “You’ll blow our cover!”   
As his eyes met with mine, I shook my head and smiled at him. He chuckled happily and shyly averted his gaze due to the intensity of mine. I couldn’t help it, I adored that soft and pure boy so much.   
His arms were at either sides of me, hands leaning on the wall behind me as he had softly pushed me into it until my back leaned on it. However, when he realized his posture and his body pressed against mine, he gently distanced himself and let his arms fall back to his sides not to be cornering me. Knowing he was too timid to do something himself and taking advantage that we were alone, I positioned my hands on his face and pulled him towards me, aiming his lips closer to mine.   
My eyes closed in delight as we shared a chaste and sweet kiss, loving and gentle. The butterflies I had almost forgotten about erupted in my stomach once more, pulling at my lips again until they curved up in the kiss. I noticed that his hands settled on my hips for a moment, tenderly squeezing as they passionately tried to gather as much of me as they could. However, he let go of me as we gently broke the kiss.  
Curiously, I observed him as he pushed a tuft of blond hair away from his eyes and clumsily combed his hair with both hands. His cheeks were flushed so bright that his freckles stood out.   
“Alex, If I… I don’t wanna overdo it and… if you ever get annoyed of me being too affectionate or something, I, uh… heh” Prompto tiredly rolled his eyes, almost to himself. “I just… like you a lot and I want to be holding you all the time and-“  
“Prom, don’t be silly” I took him by the chin, quick to reassure him. “I’ve wanted to be held by you for a long time, I’m not going to grow fed up of it”   
“Really? You too?” His eyes met mine, shining with an eager twinkle. “Ever since I met you, I…”  
I remembered our first encounter, right before we left the Crown City. The puppy look on his face, the doe eyes and awed expression, his azure eyes watching me lively. The way in which he was looking at me at the moment was similar, albeit filled with admiration and adoration instead of curiosity.   
I understood why I fell for Prompto, but him? We were quite different and my insecurities reminded me that girls like Cindy were so much more alike him. I focused not to read too into it as to not discourage myself with silly and self-conscious thoughts.   
Prompto had mentioned several times how I was kind, smart, pretty and wise, sweet as well as some other things. And he genuine believed I was all of those things. It was good enough for me, yet… How did we fall for each other? How did two people so different end up together?  
He was bright and warm like the sun, soft, energetic and bubbly. I was somber, stubborn and dull like the moon, often too serious and bland in contrast with him.   
Yet Prompto got under my skin with his bright smile and his cute and upbeat personality, with his radiant presence and light of his own. He seemed to be the one to shine the brightest and cast his light upon us during the darkest times. Like the sunshine in the moonlight, like the light that overpowered the darkness, not only for me but for everyone else. Like the sunlight to my moonlight, like the yin to my yang.   
I chuckled to myself, amazed by the effect he had on me yet again. I had never been one for romance, yet as soon as he appeared I was struck with all those feelings and emotions and corny ideas.   
“What?” He whispered, his mouth still so close to mine that we breathed the same air.   
“Nothing” I answered with a smile. “Just surprised that you fell for me on sight, sunshine”   
Prompto chuckled heartedly to divert the attention from his blushing.   
“Sunshine? Never heard that one before!” His grin was so wide that his eyes closed a little.   
“Get used to it” I snuck my arms under his vest to feel his lean figure, and wrapped them around him.  
“Great! I love the nickname, heh!” Energetically and eagerly, his arms settled around me too. That was what absolute happiness must feel like. Embracing and being held by the person you love, by your sunshine. A feeling unlike any other.   
I pushed my cheek against his collarbone and sighed in content, overwhelmed by a feeling of peace and adoration that made me whole. As we pulled apart at the same time, I briefly pecked him on the lips and held him by the hand to take him with me.   
“Shall we venture around Altissia?”   
“Heck yeah!” Sweetly intertwining his fingers with mine as our palms were pressed against the other, he began running, taking me with him.

 

The thirty minutes were due, so we were headed for the spot close to the Vivienne Westwood shop as we had promised our friends. So little time, but we had savored every second of it. Prompto and I had spent a wonderful time, taking pictures and chatting, glancing at whatever products shops sold and buying a few things for each other –although all we bought was matching leather bracelets that Prompto was very excited about and that we put on immediately–and even buying some ice cream.  
We walked side by side as we enjoyed the last of our ice cream, sharing a comfortable silence. I didn’t grow tired of being with him, it felt so calming and exciting, so cozy and comfortable. His presence was intoxicating enough not to feel pressured to fill the silence with mindless prattle.   
“Can you hold this?” He mumbled out of nowhere, breaking the stillness of the moment.  
“Of course” I held my hand up, prepared to take whatever he would give me, guessing it was either his camera or his ice cream. I was astonished when instead, Prompto rested his hand over mine and firmly grasped it. Yet when I tried to meet with his eyes, he shyly looked away.   
My lips curved up in fond amusement and I had to lean closer to leave the lightest peck on his cheek. He cutely wrinkled his nose in response to my affection.   
“Looks like you two had fun” Gladio’s voice surprised us as we met with them three again.   
Grinning widely at the sight of our friends, Prompto hurriedly reciprocated my peck with another one before shoving the remnants of the cone in his mouth and walking over to Noctis.  
“Noct!” The blond nudged him repeatedly as he pulled his camera out, without a doubt to show him the pictures we took. I only realized I was lovingly watching him being the adorable and bright goofball he always was when a tattooed arm heavily fell over my shoulders and mischievously shook me.  
“Had fun, Alex?” I concealed my smile as soon as his smug voice asked.   
“So what if I did?” I shrugged to appear nonchalant and casual.   
“Nothing” Gladio insisted. “Not that you’re turning red or anything”   
“It is quite endearing that you’re so fond of him” Ignis smiled a bit too, obviously glad that I had found something special in my relationship with Prompto.   
I stopped hiding my smile and glanced over to the blond as he eagerly narrated Noct the lovely time we had together. Watching him being excited like a child was adorable, especially if it was due to interacting with me. He swung his arms around as he came over and stood next to me. Noctis followed with an amused and badly covered smirk.  
Seeking Prompto’s affection, I flirtatiously leaned over him until he chuckled and eagerly wrapped an arm around my waist, which he used to pull me closer so our sides were touching.   
“It’s so weird seeing you being so corny” Noctis pointed out, looking from me to Prompto.  
“I’m not corny!” I objected, almost outraged.  
“Why would you appear so flustered and embarrassed otherwise?” Ignis remarked wittily.  
“Besides” I pretended like I did not hear him. “What about Prompto?”   
The aforesaid was beaming, he was completely over the moon.   
“Are we talking about the same person here?” Gladio acknowledged the boy’s broadness about his crushes. For the most part.   
“Corny and proud” Prompto chuckled happily, nodding towards him.  
“That is the voice of a true romantic” Ignis commented, whether jokingly or not I couldn’t truly tell.  
The five of us indulged in some more free time while we rejoiced in the beautiful scene around us and the cheerful mood that settled in the group.

 

After reuniting with our friends and visiting Weskham –an old friend of King Regis –and being introduced to Camelia Claustra –first secretary of the Accordo Protectorate, as Ignis reminded us –we decided to carry on with our wandering around Altissia and jumped right on to a gondola that would take us to the Leville, where we would rest for the big day tomorrow. The day of the rite.   
My hand grazed the water as I let it fall limply to the side of the gondola while we traveled to the hotel. I felt fortunate, blessed by experiencing such soothing beauty with my four best friends, one of which happened to be my boyfriend as well.   
I was quiet, silently enjoying the moment as well as resting. It had been a busy day, and surely my wounds were yet in the progress of healing and hindering my energies.   
Absently glimpsing at my friends, I took notice that Ignis was observing me fondly from his seat in front of me. Surely, he liked seeing me in such a serene and reflexive state. I smiled at him and he smiled back.  
Prompto and I sat alone in the widest bench, so I rested my head on his shoulder and linked my arm with his. That ride was so romantic and so perfect!  
“You okay over there?” Gladio, who sat at the edge of the gondola to my left, bumped his knee against mine. “You look sleepy”  
“I’ll let you on a little secret” Ignis smirked a tad, which I knew wasn’t a good sign. “Alexandria gets extremely affectionate when she’s feeling tired or unwell”   
Surely, I was tired and my feet throbbed from so much walking. Yet I wasn’t affectionate because I was drowsy or unwell, but because I was happy and loved Prompto!  
“I’m sitting right here, Ignis” I reprimanded him, also sending him a glare.   
“And when she’s scared” Prompto chuckled, nudging me softly. “Remember the chocobos?”   
“Quite the contrary” Iggy responded, always amused by this demeanor of mine. “If too much attention is gathered on her she can get quite feisty when she’s frightened”  
“She’s a proud one” Gladiolus joined in the fun.  
“Always so snooty” And so did Noctis, I should have known.  
“And she’s right here” I closed my eyes and ignored them. “Stop talking about me!”   
I heard Prompto giggling as his fingers brushed against my sides in a kind gesture, ginger enough not to tickle me. Even though he knew he had the power to do so and would surely save the valuable piece of information for a useful purpose and a convenient moment.   
As usual, my drowsy state sunk me into a reflective mood. Yet this time it implied a rush of reality and I was randomly reminded that although I was spending a lovely time with my friends and new boyfriend, we weren’t on Altissia for vacation. We had a mission: Reunite with Lady Lunafreya so as an Oracle she would awaken the Leviathan and the Goddess would grant a blessing upon Noctis as the Chosen King. It was quite complicated, and truly of great importance. It reminded me the weight of our journey, of my role as Noct’s companion and my duty to protect him in order to carry on the prophecy that he needed to fulfill.   
Such reminder broke my spirits a bit, but I held on to Prompto tighter. Perhaps ours was a perilous journey, and perhaps we needed to endure suffering such as the one we carried with ourselves after King Regis’ death. Yet we would still have each other.

 

The next day we met with Camelia and promised her to keep her citizens safe in a mutual agreement so Noctis and Lady Lunafreya could awake Leviathan.   
I must admit, I was quite impressed by Noctis’ politic skills as he spoke with her as a king. He had shown incredible strength and diplomacy, addressing the subject truly professionally and almost appearing to be a king in that unique Noct way of his.   
When the moment of the rite arrived, however, I felt anxious and jittery as I remained by my three friend’s side. A big task was assigned to us, people’s safety was a stake and it was a great responsibility. In protecting the king and ensuring his success we also contributed to bringing back the light to the world as it was slowly fading and succumbing to darkness very slowly.  
Also, I couldn’t take them off my mind. The fact that the Oracle Lunafreya needed to summon the Covenant and that Noctis needed to obtain the Hydraean’s blessing. I hoped everything went well.   
I kept gulping, because my throat felt extremely dry. Although I had worked hard to improve, I still wasn’t a Crownsguard and I wasn’t prepared like they were.  
“There is no need to worry, Alexandria” Ignis saw through my apparent tranquil exterior and noticed the signs that made clear that I was nervous. “Stay calm, you appear to be tense”   
“I can’t help it” My voice came out as low and trembling in spite of myself.  
“We’re just evacuating people for now” Gladio gently elbowed me in the ribs. “Don’t sweat it”   
I glanced at the marching people with absent eyes, trying to occupy myself with something trivial in an attempt to trick my mind into not thinking about it.   
“Yeah, no biggie” Prompto also felt the need to dedicate me some words of encouragement as well. “We’ve got this, Xanders!”   
“This isn’t only about us, Prom” I turned to him and bit my lip in anxiety. “I’m concerned for Lady Lunafreya as well as Noct, the Covenant with the Hydraean is of great importance”  
“You must have faith in Noct” Ignis almost reprimanded me, eyeing me warily.  
“And I do, of course I do!”   
“Then what’s the problem, Alex?”   
“I… don’t know…”   
“A bad feeling, perhaps?”  
“Not really, I merely…”   
“Don’t try to be logical, you’re just freaking out” Gladio added with a shrug. “It happens”   
“I see” Ignis nodded to himself, averting his eyes to the crowd as he confirmed that the last of the citizens left Altissia. “It’s completely understandable, Alexandria, we won’t think less of you”   
After all, it was the first true time I faced a situation as such. At least, outside the Council room. Unlike then, I was there to see everything develop for myself. I was in on the action.   
“To be honest…” Prompto began to say shyly. “I’m kinda nervous too”   
“You two are made for each other” Gladio playfully placed an arm over me and the other one over my boyfriend, hugging us both at the same time. I wondered whether it was the desired effect, yet such gesture brought a small smile to my face. If we were to ignore the sudden burning feeling in my cheeks.   
“Gladio!” Ignis warned us, his eyes fixed on the sky above us. Noticing the alarm in his tone, the big man immediately let go of us. Upon following Iggy’s glance, we found with aerial imperial ships that were starting to surround us. The four of us complained under our breaths as we conjured our weapons, anticipating the battle.   
“Is that all of the people?” Prompto confirmed, checking all around him to assure that all the citizens of Altissia had already left.   
“I believe so!” Ignis responded, even if his green eyes wouldn’t leave the imperial ships.  
“Go!” Gladio commanded as he started running once the evacuation was completed.   
“Let’s hope Noct and Lady Lunafreya are doing alright” Prompto uttered as he sighed and followed him.  
Ignis and I nodded to each other, in an understanding glance. Then we motioned to go with them, although Prompto and Gladio extended their arms before us protectively.   
“Wow!” The blond exclaimed, taken aback by the small army of MTs that fell before us. I knew Altissia was somewhat under imperial domain, yet it angered me greatly to encounter them again. I hated those things.   
“Damn MTs!” I screamed, summoning my handgun and pointing at one of them.   
“Bring it on” Gladio defied them, materializing his huge sword while Prompto wielded his weapon as well.  
“Stand back!” Ignis and I warned, involuntarily at the same time.  
The MagiTek troopers were too close to our friends, so they urgently traced back their steps. Meanwhile, we backed them up. Mainly I, as Ignis didn’t have a long distance weapon like me. Prompto yelped when a bullet passed close to him, only to land in the MTs helmet.   
“Nice shot, Xanders!” He congratulated me once over the initial shock. “That’s my girl!”  
“Prompto, focus!” Gladio shouted at him.  
“Yes, sir!”  
“Be alert!”  
At least I felt more confident with my fighting abilities at that point, as though I could truly help them and be a useful backup in case they were in trouble.   
The four of us battled separately, each to his own. Gladio smacked his sword against the troopers with his brutal force, Ignis nimbly parried and Prompto shot and jumped around. I myself switched from handgun to sword quickly, as I had mastered during my time in Hammerhead, and efficiently took the MTs down.  
As we fought, it started heavily pouring with rain. A very loud sound overcame us as well, causing us to briefly look in that direction.   
The Leviathan. Lady Lunafreya had awaken it and also upset the Goddess somehow as well, for it stood majestically in all its glory, nearly shadowing the sun behind it with its splendorous size.  
I realized then, it wasn’t rain which was falling over us. It was tiny drops coming from the sea that splashed all around due to the Hydraean’s awakening.  
“That’s not good” Prompto whispered, barely audible under the gunfire noise.   
“We must help Noct!” Ignis shouted to make himself audible over the racket surrounding us.  
“He needs to get to the Leviathan!” Gladio agreed, his amber eyes still vigilant of the Goddess.  
“On my way!” Prompto volunteered without giving it a second thought.  
Just as our glances were directed towards the Leviathan, a ship sneakily approached us until it nearly landed. It opened to reveal Ravus Nox Fleuret, standing there elegant and silent.  
“You’re gonna need help” His voice uttered emotionlessly. I frowned, observing the man before us. The man that had sided with the empire and was under the orders of Ardyn Izunia.   
“Why would you want to help us?” I piped up, remembering how Ravus had attacked my friends while I was away.   
His silence was suspicious, making me wonder what hidden reasons he might have. Should I believe his intentions were good? He was Lady Lunafreya’s brother, after all.  
“You must go at once” Ignis commanded, grave and stern. “Noct needs us”   
By the way he was looking at us, I knew he referred to both Prompto and I.   
“But how?!” Prompto motioned in the Hydraean’s direction. “I can’t fly him up there!”   
At his command, two MT troopers exited the ship, carrying some sort of motorized flying vehicle that somewhat resembled a motorcycle, albeit it had no wheels.  
“That should suffice” Ravus took it from the MTs and handed it over to Prompto.  
“Ha!” He guffawed, observing the big heavy object in his hands. “Awesome, this is perfect!”   
“Wait, you’re going?” I held him back by his vest when he was about to leave, anxious about letting him go. If he left my side, I had no chance of backing him up.  
“I gotta go!” Trying to loosen my grip on the garment, he turned around. “Noct needs us!”  
”Prom, wait” I pleaded worriedly, not minding that we weren’t alone. I took him by the shirt instead and pulled him toward me, needing him closer to seek any sort of comfort. When our lips collided it felt familiar, it felt right. I managed to catch some air at last.   
Yet when we broke away the world fell on my shoulders again. As soon as my lips left his, I was reminded of the horrible reality that surrounded us. Of the Leviathan and the darkness and the possibility that it could be our last battle against the Empire. I might not see them again. Maybe I would die, maybe Prompto would. Maybe all of us would. It was a far too painful thought. I was too unfamiliar with the violence of an actual and serious battle.   
I frowned, trying to convey my emotions by putting them into words.   
“I…” Was all I managed to say, my pride not allowing me to confess. Even if I truly didn’t know what I wanted to say. “I just…”   
Perhaps ‘take care’ was the best option. Perhaps I wanted to tell him to come back to us in one piece, to fight his hardest to survive. Or I just wanted to let him know how much I loved him, or how scared I was. How much I longed for everything to be over and things to be okay and back to normal.  
Prompto just nodded, definitely knowing me enough to realize all of my thoughts. He dedicated me a sad smile that was shadowed by his usual genuine and bubbly ones.   
“You too” He said in response to my silence. That said, he began to walk away.   
“Prompto!” I called him, louder than needed. But he did turn around, expecting an answer. “Be careful!!”   
There came one of his bright smiles that made me feel like everything would be alright even when I knew it wouldn’t. Even in the middle of such situation, it was the sunshine during the storm, quite literally. And then he was gone. 

 

Damn it, why did I listen to him? Not only was I busy ending the last of the MagiTek troopers that came my way, but also enduring a gnawing feeling of dismay.  
I blamed Gladio for throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me away from Ignis, leaving him alone with Ravus. I knew how greatly capable Ignis was, but I still didn’t trust Lord Nox Fleuret, not to mention to leave him alone with my best friend. On top of all, I was left alone again when Gladio ran off to look for Prompto as he was taking too long to come back. All he had to do was carry Noct close to the Hydraean and drop him off.  
Once I dealt with a new wave of MT soldiers that had attacked me yet again, I stormed off in the direction where Gladio disappeared from. Hopefully I would reunite with him, Noctis and Prompto. However, I stopped when a feeling of emptiness took over me. Something was definitely wrong. Ignis. Prompto. Gladio. Noctis. Lunafreya. One of them was in trouble. Perhaps them all.   
Hesitating in the spot where I was stuck in, I glanced back to where Ignis and Ravus fought the MTs –that, ironically the imperial man was fighting back –and where Gladio and Prompto were supposed to be at.  
“Hey!” A familiar voice called me, bringing me great relief with just his presence.  
“Prom!” I turned around and ran to engulf him in a tight and desperate embrace.  
“You okay?” His hand rested in my side as he immediately broke the hug.  
“Yes” My smile dropped instantly when I looked at him.   
“No worries, I am too” Mistaking my reaction, the blond showed me a reassuring grin as he shrugged casually.   
It wasn’t because I was concerned about him, which was also part of the problem. Yet I immediately noticed there was something off about Prom, although I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. There was something about his voice, his tone, the cadence of it. Despite the fact that it was his voice, it didn’t quite sound like Prompto, how was that possible?   
“What’s wrong, Alexandria?” That was the first definite proof that backed up my suspicion. Prompto never called me Alexandria anymore. Ever, only Alex!  
I shook my head, blaming my restlessness to the frantic and hectic events that were taking place and must have been messing with my head. It probably slipped as he was too preoccupied with bigger matters.  
“Nothing, I’m just glad you’re alright” I nodded, forcing myself to smile at him.  
“Me too” He smiled too, yet… it wasn’t as genuine or bright as usual. Even forced, it felt unauthentic. Surely, the harrowing battle was affecting him as well. All the fire and destruction that surrounded us, the noise of explosions and war.   
“Wait, where are Ignis and Gladio?” He looked around him to the empty streets of Altissia. “And Noct?”  
“I don’t know where Noct is after you dropped him off, but the others are-” I admitted, pointing my thumb over my shoulder.   
“Wait, what are you doing here alone?” He rudely interrupted me, something that he didn’t usually do.   
“Ignis and Gladio insisted that I should go find you and leave them” My confidence started to shatter because of his judgmental tone. “You-you know how protective Ignis is, and Gladio basically…”   
“Wait, so…” Prompto’s brows furrowed in astonishment. “You… actually left them alone?”   
“Well, they…”   
“What about sticking together? You chickened out!”   
He was raising his voice, what was going on! Prompto wouldn’t yell at me… Was he really that angry at me? Mad enough to actually shout like that?  
“I… didn’t!” I managed to retaliate, although perplexed. “Ignis-“   
“I’m… disappointed in you” Prompto shook his head, looking me haughtily. “I thought you were better than that!”  
I suddenly felt out of breath, afraid that my deepest fears came to life. What if he didn’t like me anymore because of it? I had disappointed him, and hearing him say it so openly broke my heart, it caused me physical pain in my chest as well as emotional ache as he threw my own insecurities in my face.   
“What is wrong with you?!” Prompto’s hands slapped against my shoulders and shook me angrily.   
It was unusual in him, yet the situation called for it. We were exhausted, concerned, filled with adrenaline and frenzy. However, that didn’t soften the impact of his words and actions. They still discouraged me and hurt me deeply.   
“You’re-you’re right…” That was the worst part, I couldn’t quite blame it on him. I had been a coward when obeying Ignis’ orders. I should have stood by his side no matter what, even against his wishes. To protect him, to help him.   
Feeling overwhelmed and extremely sensitive, tears started building up in my eyes. At least they would blend in with the raindrops that wet my cheeks if they were to be shed.   
Just then, an explosion of fire erupted behind us. It illuminated the streets around us with a violent orange glow that gave me goosebumps. Even though I tried to convince myself that the fire came from Ignis himself conjuring it and hoping they were safe, the attempted thought didn’t quite ease my restlessness.  
“Ignis!” Urgently, I turned back round to face Prompto. “We must go help him!”  
Refusing to let fright control me again, I was determined to go on to his aid.   
“We can’t!” Prompto’s fingers closed around my wrist, firm like an iron clutch. “It’s too dangerous!”  
I paused, analyzing his eyes as I found a surprising amount of emptiness in them when they looked back at me. Devoid from all those emotions that he conveyed when looking at me. Fondness, joy, shyness, playfulness, vitality, softness. There was no trace of none of them.   
He was contradicting himself as well. Before he was ashamed of me for not helping.  
“Prompto…” I started, cautiously stepping away from him and freeing myself from his strong grip. “Since when you do care if it’s dangerous? Those are our friends we’re talking about!”   
Perhaps Prompto could get scared more easily than others, yet that never stopped him. His friendship and loyalty were always more important, or else he wouldn’t have come with us and lingered in our company even through the dungeons. Even when facing his phobias and fears, he never left. His friends next to him made him brave.  
The definite clue was the smirk that plastered on his lips next. It wasn’t soft like him, it wasn’t goofy or pure or tender. It was arrogant and scornful. And I had seen it before. I just couldn’t remember where. However, I was positive of something. No one could replace the real Prompto Argentum.  
“You’re not Prompto” I sternly told him, defiantly staring at the copy of him.  
I turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of where my friends were at. Perhaps the real Prompto was there, helping Ignis and Gladio. For the time being, I was not to remain there. I would go help my friends and forsake whoever that fake Prompto was.  
“Oh, dear…” Behind me, I didn’t hear Prompto’s voice. “I have been discovered… It seems I’m not as good an actor as I believed myself to be”   
My heart violently thumped against my chest when I realized who that voice belonged to. A gasp got caught in my throat with the deepest of terrors as I frantically turned around to meet face to face with Ardyn Izunia.  
“Such a pity, isn’t it?” He spoke with sarcasm and condescendence. “If only you hadn’t seen through my brilliant disguise”   
“Ardyn, you…” I began to say, prepared to vent with as many insults to his persona as I’d like. However, my eyes widened in panic with the realization that I wasn’t the victim to his games. I was merely a distraction, and he was a bait I stupidly took.   
My friends were in danger, and I was there talking to a fake Prompto. Being held back, rendering me useless so I couldn’t help them.  
“Gladio! Ignis!” I shouted weakly, nearly hyperventilating as I turned to where the commotion originated from. “Prom-“   
A heavy painful blow came to the back of my head. Turning my back to him wasn’t the wisest idea. I heard his foul laughter as I fell limply to the ground, complete darkness engulfing my world.


	14. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexandria is trying to take in everything that's happening in Altissia, as is the group. However, things seem to complicate quickly and the tension arrises.

“Alexandria” A deep hoarse voiced called my name, violently bringing me back to consciousness.  
My brain worked slowly, and I was so dumbfounded by everything that I didn’t realize it was Gladio’s voice. I blinked repeatedly, clutching the back of my head in pain, and slowly sat up.   
“What the hell happened to you?” By his irritated and grave tone I could sense something was wrong.   
He stretched out his hand, holding it out for me to take. When I did, he tugged at it until I was on my feet. His eyes scrutinized me as I gathered my balance and settled on the ground.   
“Where’s everyone?” I asked him, befuddled.   
He just started walking without giving me a proper reply, and it took me a few seconds to realize he wanted me to follow. 

 

Without saying anything other than asking me if I was okay and me replying I was, although I was feeling unstable and dazed, he leaded the march over to the Leville. Hopefully we would reunite there with our friends.  
Although I had a strange feeling that told me I did not want to see Prompto, I couldn’t quite remember why. Perhaps I had a concussion that hindered my thoughts.  
As soon as we entered the room, I saw him. Anxiously pacing up and down the corridor, wriggling his hands with convincing nervousness. When my eyes fell over him I was greeted with sudden images that reminded what happened. Why I was weary of him.  
That wasn’t Prompto. It was Ardyn disguised as him.  
“No!” I shouted, quitting his pacing and focusing his attention on me. I retreated in fear until I walked into Gladio. “It’s him! Stay away from him!”   
“Alex?” Ardyn was disguised as Prompto again, and he was coming closer to me. He was correcting his mistakes, however, as he achieved a more convincing expression that resembled my boyfriend’s. He could deceive Gladio, but not me.   
His hand reached out for me carefully, yet I shrank away from his touch.  
“NO!!” I shrieked, shielding in Gladio’s chest. “Go away, get-get away from us! You… you…”   
I couldn’t exactly tell why I was so terrified of Ardyn, but his presence inflicted an irrational horror within me that caused me to start shaking. He had fooled Gladio, he was right there with them! He could hurt them!   
How did he manage to pretend so well? How could he summon such believable hurt to his expression in reaction to my outburst? Just like Prompto would?  
“Relax, kid!” Gladio firmly held me by the shoulders. “What are you on about?!”  
“He’s Ardyn! He pretended to be Prompto and-and…”  
Gladio and I locked eyes, the confusion and concern reflected in his as he intently listened.   
“Is that what happened to you? Did he attack you?”   
“Yes, it was him!”   
His puzzled frown turned into a furious scowl as he looked up at Prompto, portraying a protective and stern attitude. At least it made me feel safer knowing Gladio wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.   
“I’m not Ardyn, it’s m-me, Prompto!” He also mimicked his voice perfectly, adding a layer of heartbreak to it that almost made my conviction crumble. “I would never hurt you, Alex! A-any of you!”  
Rattled, he took a step closer and tried to touch me. I wouldn’t let him.  
“Don’t come any closer!!” I inched closer to Gladio, hoping he would protect me from that man.  
“You better stay there, you hear?” Gladio’s voice was imposing and authoritarian as he held his hand up. To my surprise, ‘Prompto’ obeyed. Surely as part of his performance and disguise.  
I burst out in tears, I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I caved in, pushing my hands against my eyes and crying there out of pure fear and restlessness. I turned around to lean over Gladio’s chest as he was the only thing that seemed to provide me with even a bit of safety. His arms wrapped around me tenderly, whispering sweet nothings to me in an attempt to put me at ease. Promising if I really believed it was Ardyn we would get rid of him, that I didn’t need to cry, that it would be okay. That he would protect me from him.  
But what about the actual Prompto?! If that wasn’t him and was Ardyn, Prompto could be in danger! Perhaps even dead! That thought only induced me to cry harder, making me want to fall to my knees and forget about everything. Just lie there and cry for as long as I needed to.  
“P-Please don’t cry, I’ll leave!” That was such a Prompto thing to say that it gathered my attention. When I looked at him, I was reminded of the possibility that it was but a trick, an illusion. I felt stupid and puerile, yet more tears rushed to my eyes and down my cheeks.  
“Calm down, it’s me!” His blue eyes had turned watery, almost pleading. “It’s me, Alex! Please… just… p-please!!”   
I cautiously looked over to him and centered in his eyes. The alleged window to the soul, which would help me tell if it was him for real or not. There was definitely an unnerving stir of emotions reflected on his eyes. Concern, fear, anxiety, yet that usual softness and pureness. Ardyn could never manage to mimic that.   
Hopeful that the true Ardyn was gone, I slowly reached out until my fingers lightly grazed his cheek.   
What if it was Ardyn? Last time I saw through him but… I needed to be a hundred percent certain.  
“What-what nickname do I c-call you that only you know?” I asked him, nearly choking on my words and suffocating since I couldn’t breathe.  
“What?” Utterly perplexed by my sudden question, he blinked repeatedly. “You mean ‘Prom’? What…?”  
“No! The other one!” I looked up to Gladio, relieved to see he believed me and was wary of him too.   
“Sunshine!” Prompto hurriedly replied, a begging look on his face. “It’s sunshine! I love it when you call me that, Alex! I do, I-I love it!”  
He had turned really pale as well. Ardyn couldn’t fake that either. It was him for real.  
I absently pushed Gladio away and threw myself to Prompto as fast as I could, making him totter as he caught me in his arms and steadied me when I faltered.  
“It’s you” I sobbed in his shoulder, my shaky hands moving up and down his hair in anguish. “It’s really you, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Prom…”   
“Hey, everything’s okay” Prompto’s tender voice whispered in my ear as his arms engulfed me tenderly and a hand rested on the back of my head. “It’s okay, I’m here”   
“Dammit, kid, you scared me shitless” Gladio sighed in relief as well.   
For a second a spark of doubt ignited in my brain. It wasn’t Prompto, but it could be Ignis or Gladio. Even Noct! No… No, I could tell. Ardyn was a bad actor, he said it himself. He wouldn’t be able to hold on the act for long.   
That was what he wanted in the first place, to play mind games with me. To make me doubt my friends and tear us apart.   
I feebly leaned on Prompto as I took a deep breath, feeling worn out and exhausted beyond belief. He noticed this too, because he bent his knees in a sharp movement and softly tightened his arms around me to keep me standing just in case.  
“What did that son of a bitch do to you?” Gladio rested a hand on my shoulder as well.   
“I’m alright now” I muttered against Prompto’s shirt. “I just need a moment”   
“Take your time, Xanders” His hand gently rubbed my back, contributing to me calming down at last.  
Ardyn wasn’t there with us. I was safe, and we were all safe. 

 

When I felt like my muddled mind was better and I had calmed down, I told them I wanted to go into the room to see our friends. Gladio hesitated, hinting bad news.  
“What happened?” I immediately asked, already holding on to Prompto seeking his support. My knees felt weak and trembling in anticipation. The blond, however, averted his gaze. Prompto knew too, and it was terrible news.  
“They’re not… Not… they’re… alive” My heart skipped a beat at the possibility. “They’re alive… Aren’t they?”   
“Yeah, but…”   
“But what, Gladio?!”  
“It’s Iggy… he’s hurt”   
His words fell upon me like a wall of bricks. It had to be something truly awful and potentially grave for them to become so solemn about it.   
“M-maybe you should see him later, Alex” Prompto set his hands in my waist, gently trying to back me away from the door.  
“You know what? That’s a good idea” Gladio nodded, motioning outside with a gesture.  
“No! I need to see him!” I tore away from their reach and swung the door open to reveal the truth. I gasped at the sight I was received with.   
Ignis was there, lying down in the bed. I couldn’t tell if he was awake. A bloody bandage covered his eyes like a blindfold. It was completely soaked in blood, and it made me queasy and weak. But Prompto was there, ready to hold me up. Instantly, his arms wrapped around my stomach from behind as his torso glued to my back.   
“You okay?” He whispered as he rested his chin in my shoulder.  
I gulped to try and swallow that lump in my throat as it spread a bitter taste through my entire mouth, even if I knew it wouldn’t be effective. I clenched my jaw and blinked several times to conceal my tears. Only then did I nod.   
My eyes darted back and forth and upwards, trying to occupy themselves with something other than those tears that threatened to spill. I was terrified, but I wouldn’t show it. Not then. I… didn’t want Ignis to shrug it off like usual, to pretend like his wellbeing wasn’t a priority only because we worried or because bigger things were happening. I was fed up with his selflessness, I wouldn’t allow it.   
“Ig…” The word got caught in my throat as I put one foot into the room. “Ignis?”   
His head slightly turned in my direction at the sound of my voice. Then he slowly sat up, firmly leaning his hands on the bed, until his back rested against the headboard.   
“Alexandria” Came his collected and deep voice. “Are you alright?”   
My jaw dropped out of outrage as I uttered inarticulate sounds, it was preposterous! The man was literally in bed, obviously suffering from a terrible injury that probably inflicted him a great pain and with a crimson bandage around his eyes… yet he was asking me if I was alright? Ignis was unbelievable, as per usual.   
“Take it easy now, you hear?” Gladio whispered in my ear, patting my arm as he went over to Ignis’ bed. I closed my agape mouth in response, nervously nibbling on my bottom lip. I merely stood there, fists clenched as they pressured against my legs angrily.   
I wanted to ask what happened, how he wound up injured like that. Yet I found no courage to hear his tale, as I imagined it to be too painful and harrowing.   
“The… wounds will heal” Prompto tried to comfort me, always the sunshine in the darkness. “He should be okay, Alex”   
Glad that Gladio was distracting Ignis, I took that time to recover from the impact. I hoped he couldn’t hear me breathing heavily from where he was sitting. Surely, Gladio was warning him to give me some time to assimilate the news anyhow.  
“His eyes…” I couldn’t stop blinking, forcing my tears back. “Is he… blind now?”  
“His eyesight should be back soon“ The fact that he avoided a direct answer was disturbing. Also, he had said ‘should’ instead of ‘will’.   
I sniffled through my nose, my tough exterior collapsing, as my head feebly bowed down in defeat. My shoulders moved on their own as they accompanied a sob. I closed my eyes tight, refusing to start crying. Not in front of them. Of Prompto. Of Ignis.   
I felt how Prompto’s fingers delicately tugged at mine until I outstretched them and opened my hand. I was closing my fists so tightly that I was hurting myself, digging my nails in my palms. But his hand slowly slid down my palm until his fingers found home in the spaces between mine. So gently and carefully, almost asking for consent.   
I breathed out and squeezed his hand in a silent thankful gesture and leaned my forehead on his shoulder for merely an instant as I tried to use his support to calm myself.  
I tried to do like Prompto, be the sunshine. Seek the positive side of such a horrific situation, there had to be one. I rummaged through my head, stubborn, keeping my tears back and compulsively gulping the lump in my throat.  
Until I found it. Ignis was still alive. He might be injured, but he was alive. He would recover. That was all I needed.   
I softly left Prompto to finally approach and face Ignis, doing something I hardly ever did. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. I shoved my face in his neck, held on to him sweetly and waited for his reaction. And when it came, it puzzled me.   
Ignis and I had hugged a limited number of times, solely in special occasions to express our fondness or moral support. And it always flustered him to a certain extent, caused him to be shy and awkward as he wasn’t accustomed to physical displays of affection. Yet his hands rested over my arm with so much sweetness that it made me want to cry.   
We didn’t say anything, none of us. The room sunk into an unsettling silence. It was driving me crazy.   
“Where’s Noct?” I asked in a shaky breath, still not breaking the embrace.  
“Next room” Gladio scarcely replied, standing from the bed and crossing his arms sternly.   
I sighed again, feeling like the urge to cry was slowly subsiding, and unwrapped my arms from Ignis’ neck. I closed my eyes and left a gentle kiss on his cheek before leaving his side. I refused to look at him as I stood to my feet. Watching him in that state would ruin all the progress I made in holding my tears back.   
“I would like to see him”  
“We’ll go with you” Prompto courteously took my hand in his, not to be funny but to comfort me. A warm gesture.   
Gladio obliged without a word, already going for the door.   
I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave Ignis alone. I told myself that he would be okay, it was only a brief moment and we would get back to him to keep him company.   
The three of us exited the room, leaving behind that stiff and somber ambiance, and headed for the other room. Gladio opened the door and came in without looking back.   
“Is he awake?” I asked before Prompto and I walked in, stopping at the threshold.   
“He’s unconscious” Gladio replied for him from inside.   
“Noct… is he hurt too?” After confronting Ignis, I wasn’t sure whether I could stand watching another friend covered in blood as well.   
“No” Prompto whispered, light and soft. I nodded to myself and squeezed Prompto’s hand again, intertwining our fingers instead, before I dared to walk inside with him.   
Gladio towered over the bed, there where Noctis lied peacefully with his eyes closed. At least he seemed unharmed.   
“When will he wake up?” I dared to ask, albeit with a weak voice.  
“We don’t know…” Prompto hesitated for a second. “Soon”   
I glanced at Gladio, who had been extremely quiet. He just stood there, a stoic expression in his face as he stared at Noctis with absent eyes.   
“Wait! What about Lady Lunafreya?” I exclaimed as soon as she popped up into my head.  
Prompto frowned and averted his eyes with a sad frown. I turned to Gladio, who wasn’t even looking back at me. It confirmed my deepest fears that Lady Lunafreya had passed away.  
My stomach stirred in an unpleasant way, afflicted with all the bad news. Ignis lost his eyesight, Noctis lost Lunafreya, Altissia had also lost so much… There was so much loss, so much suffering, so much darkness.   
“A-Ardyn… It was Ardyn” I gulped, almost choking on my own saliva. “I’m sure of it, he… he did it! It was all his fault!!”   
“Hey, sweetie, it’s okay” Prompto engulfed me in a tight embrace. He must have realized how much that man scared me, how he had gotten inside my head.   
I didn’t know whether he wanted to comfort me or he sought solace himself. Surely, I was the only one he could hug at that very moment. But what did it matter? We both needed it.   
I closed my eyes and tried to isolate myself from everything, focus solely on the embrace. Cling on to the only light in the shadows.   
The silence felt heavy around us, until it was abruptly broken.   
“I hope he’s not all mopey when he wakes up” Gladio said angrily. Startled by such a bitter remark, Prompto and I slowly broke the hug and observed him.   
I knew Gladiolus was Noctis’ sworn Shield and he tried to protect him in more ways than one, to make him strong. He didn’t mean it in a bad way and his temper got the best of him. But his stubbornness was becoming too much for me. First it was during the fight with the Titan, and know this.   
I was never Noctis’ biggest fan, but I empathized with him. First he lost his father, and his kingdom along with it. And then he had just lost Lady Lunafreya, someone incredibly important to him and who he cared for deeply. Who remained loyal and supportive to him until the very end.   
Even if Noctis were mopey when he woke up, he would have reasons to. Surely, he was still the prince –I wasn’t accustomed to calling him ‘king’ yet –but he was a person first and foremost. And even if he weren’t mopey, it wasn’t the best of moments to behave like that.   
No one replied, and the silence was getting me on edge. I wouldn’t be able to take it for much longer, I felt my breaths coming in ragged breaths and my heart speeding up dangerously. The air felt thicker around me, the ambiance heavy and uncomfortable.   
I feared another panic attack was approaching, so I tried to stabilize myself. Luckily, my hands resting on Prompto’s shoulder helped with that.  
“He needs to grow up and behave like a king already” Gladiolus insisted, a pronounced scowl on his face as he returned to the door. Prompto and I exchanged a surprised glance before obliging and going after him.   
We went back to Ignis and sat in the arm chairs of the room, keeping the injured man company. Gladiolus restlessly stood soon after, just to start pacing up and down the room, stomping his feet on the ground and loudly leaning his tall weight on it as he walked.   
I pressed my teeth against my bottom lip in an attempt to control myself. The red hot anger was building up inside of me, I could feel it spreading a dangerous warmth within me at a dangerous quick pace as well.   
“I won’t put up with his whining anymore, I’m sick of it” Gladio spat out, glaring at nothing in particular, his gaze absent. “I’m done spoiling-“  
“Stop it!” I stood from my seat, and I felt out of myself. “Just stop it!”  
I was shaking from head to toe, fuming with a burning fury that had taken control over my body and that surely was a coping mechanism to hide how frightened and affected I was and try to get over it.   
“What?” Gladio challenged me, towering before me.   
“Can’t you see that it’s not the time for any of that?” I shouted at him, not being intimidated by him. Probably because I was producing lots of adrenaline at the moment. “Cut out the crap!”   
“Gladio, Alexandria…” Ignis uttered lowly, but I couldn’t get with what intention.   
“What do you want from me, Alex?” Gladiolus defied me, almost testing my bravery.   
“To stop being so negative for a change! To stop beating Noct up all the time! Do you want to know what I want? I want him to wake up and be okay, I want Ignis to heal and get his eyesight back, I want Prompto to stop feeling the need to make everything alright for us and I want Lady Lunafreya to be alive and well and I want Lucis to be back and-and-“   
Why was I suddenly out of breath? Why was everything spinning around me? Why was I feeling so faint out of the blue? Not again… It couldn’t happen again, not now!  
“Hey, Alex” Prompto hurriedly took me by the shoulders and distanced me from Gladio. “It’s okay, breathe”   
I glanced at Gladio as I allowed my boyfriend to separate us. I expected his amber eyes to be filled with anger and contempt, but his glance softened instead. He frowned and looked at me with concern and sadness before looking away. Perhaps he had realized I was right, minus the breakdown.   
“It’s okay” Prompto repeated, gingerly putting his arms around me as he gently pulled me closer to him. “It will be alright, everyone will be fine, I promise”   
“You’re lying! How can it be alright?” Everything was affecting me more than I initially thought, because I suddenly found myself crying in his shoulder. Craving his touch and clinging onto his lean form, desperate for his affection and comfort.   
“Prompto” Ignis’ voice was as stern and grave as ever, but this once it sounded almost broken. “Can you please take Alexandria outside? She should have some fresh air, she will feel better”   
“Yeah… Yeah, sure” The aforesaid replied lowly, not letting go of me as he took me with him. I didn’t feel strong enough to try and stop him.   
Prompto rushed to accompany me outside with an arm resting over my shoulders protectively, his eyes attentively watching me. Once in the open, we sat down in one of the steps of the small staircase that led to the entrance and I leaned forward to cry. I buried my face in my hands, internally screaming to tell myself to stop immediately.   
“I’m sorry” I whimpered, angrily pressing my face down to reprimand myself. “I’m sorry, Prompto”   
“Don’t apologize” He whispered with his soft voice, a hand leaning on my back and rubbing small circles on it to reassure me. “It’s okay to cry”   
“No it’s not! Not when Ignis and Noctis are-“   
“Forget about them for a moment, okay? Just focus on yourself first, calm down”   
My sobs mixed in with my trembling sighs as I tried to inhale and exhale normally.   
I hated to feel like that. I hated to be like that, so emotional. I never knew how truly sensitive I was until then, when I was put at the end of my rope.   
“It isn’t fair” I uttered, heartbroken, forcing myself to look into his blue eyes in search for that calming softness that I very much craved and needed.   
Prompto gently put his arms around me, being mindful not to tighten the embrace too much, and leaned his head on my shoulder to add on to the physical contact. I used that time to calm myself, even my uneven breaths and slow my quick heartbeats, convince myself that it would be okay even when I didn’t believe so. Holding my hands together and waiting until they stopped trembling, Prompto remained silent. We lingered in that position for at least one minute, quiet and still. Then Prompto dared to pipe up in his cautious and soft voice.  
“Gladio didn’t really mean any of it… you know that, right?”   
I couldn’t understand why Gladiolus behaved like that.   
Perhaps he was like me, perhaps he hid his fear under rage. Perhaps he was emotional and lost his temper when he was put under that much pressure. He avoided showcasing vulnerability with blind anger. Or he tried to convince himself that he was angry when in truth he was frightened or concerned.  
“I know” I replied in the end, wiping my tears with determination.   
Then we locked eyes, staring at each other. I hadn’t noticed how devastated he looked until I gathered my attention off myself for long enough.   
“I’m being selfish, I’m sorry” I planted a comforting hand on his knee. “I’m not the only one suffering at the moment”   
“I’m okay, don’t worry!” My boyfriend assured, forcing one of his bright smiles. “You know me”   
I shook my head emotionlessly, taken aback by the fact that he was still willing to hide his pain to fix mine. Prompto was one of a kind.   
I stretched out one hand, getting it closer to the side of his face. The tip of my fingers met with the side of his chin, which I tilted my way as I leaned closer to him. When our lips met it felt cathartic, magical, timeless, wondrous. It felt like it had been too long since we last kissed. It filled me with a sudden strength that promised to get me through the hardship, it gave me courage. His fingers brushed against my hair on their way to my neck, where they settled and softly brought me closer to his mouth. He was craving it as much as I was. We broke away extremely slowly. We silently stared at each other, delaying the moment where we came back with our friends and faced reality.  
Prompto gingerly rested his forehead over mine, and he almost passed me positive energies when doing so. I closed my eyes and it helped me breath better.   
We stood like that for just a bit longer, hoping if we sat there together long enough, none of what happened would have to be real.

 

Several weeks later, we were on a train headed for Cartanica. Yet another royal tomb awaited us, there where Noctis would obtain another part of the Power of Kings that belonged to him.   
We were completely silent, the only sound being the background clattering of the train. I glimpsed at each of my friends, only to be welcomed by their somber faces. It had certainly been rough ever since we left Altissia.   
Ignis’ eyesight hadn’t come back, yet he insisted on lingering in the group despite the great dangers. Despite the fact that he was blind and wouldn’t be able to defend himself like he used to. Not that I had expected him to cowardly retreat, it was something he would never do. He would stand by us until the very end.   
Noctis had isolated himself ever since he woke up and learned the awful news. I had tried to receive him with a warm embrace and words of solace as soon as he recovered consciousness, yet he refused any interaction with us. I assumed he needed time to recover from the shock and grief, I understood perfectly.  
Gladio’s demeanor was still bitter and temperamental, especially given the fact that he was somewhat right – Noctis was mopey. The fact that Ignis sacrificed his eyesight for our royal friend didn’t help his Shield to be any softer on him either.   
Lastly, there was Prompto. He still tried to lighten up the mood, perhaps get us to ‘crack a smile’ like he always said when he excused himself after a silly joke. He had eventually stopped trying, knowing that we needed to mourn all our losses before even thinking about smiling again.   
I sat in front of him and Ignis, twirling the ring of the Lucii in my hands. I saw Noct playing with it when we got in the train and asked him to take a look at it, to which he gave it to me almost in relief. I had the feeling that he had no intention of asking me for it back quite yet.  
Sighing, I locked eyes with Prompto. He pursed his lips in a poor attempt at a smile.  
“Oh, no…” I whispered to myself as soon as I noticed Gladio was standing up and headed for Noctis’ seat.   
“The hell is wrong with you?” Indeed, he was scolding Noctis again. The aforesaid lifted his head, as he had been absently staring down, and looked at him.  
“What?” There was defiance in his voice, almost anger, when he replied.   
“Gladi-“ I started to say, but Prompto subtly shook his head to ask me to stay quiet and not get involved. I obliged in spite of myself, even though I strongly disagreed with Gladiolus’ strategy to perk the prince –again, Noct was now king –up.  
“We’re not stopping in Tenebrae” Gladiolus adamantly stated, not allowing any arguments.  
“As long as we still go to Cartanica, what does it matter if-“ I started saying, siding with Noctis, yet Gladio completely ignored me and kept on talking.  
“You need to grow up and get over it”   
“You’re not helping, Gladio”   
“She’s… right, you know?”   
Knowing Gladio was not going to drop it, I bowed my head down and reluctantly waited for it to be over. Even if my hand tightly closed around the ring and my fist shook violently as I tried to contain my anger.  
“I am over it. I’m here, aren’t I?!”   
“Maybe when you’re not too busy moping, you can look around and give a shit about someone worse off than you”   
“Let go of me” When I looked up and realized he had indeed took ahold of his jacket, I couldn’t hold myself back anymore.  
“Gladio, stop it!” I angrily shouted at him, hating that he was against him when he should be helping him. “You-“   
Prompto quickly stood up and protectively held a hand in my waist when Gladio pushed me by the shoulder and made me totter. I was about to retaliate, and I would have if it weren’t for Prompto’s arm desperately holding me around the waist and keeping me in place. I solely obliged because I knew that my temper, added to Gladio’s, would only worsen things.   
The man’s eyes fell on me before they landed back on Noct and shook him by the jacket.  
“Are you not enough of a man that you have Alex carry that ring for you? When you should be wearing it instead? You’re supposed to be a king!” He had pointed his free arm in my direction, although not making eye contact. “And Lunafreya? She gave her life so you can do your duty, not so you can sit around feeling sorry for yourself”   
I winced at the mention of Lady Lunafreya, as it wasn’t necessary to bring her up. To hurt Noct even more with the remainder of her death, even if as a sacrifice.  
“You don’t think I know that?!” Noctis shouted, fuming mad.   
“You don’t! Ignis took one for you too, and for what?!” Gladio raised his voice even more.  
“Enough, Gladio!” Ignis finally intervened, stern and tired.   
“You think you’re a king, but you’re a coward”   
“Shut up!”  
“Don’t do this-!” This time it was Prompto who intervened, seeing as they were really raising the volume.  
I gasped in outrage when Gladiolus placed a hand in Prompto’s face to shut him up and pushed him as well. He wasn’t even glancing at him either, merely glaring at Noctis.   
“Gladiolus!” I immediately went over to Prompto to comfort him. “You can’t do that!”  
“Alex…” The blond just nodded and mumbled an ‘I’m okay’ that sounded far too broken to be genuine.   
“I get it, alright?! I get it!!” Noctis finally shouted, resigned and fed up.   
“Then get a grip! Pull your head out of your ass already” With Gladiolus’ words, the prince walked away.  
“Noct-!” Prompto called him, only to get silence in return.  
“Leave him” Gladio exited the scene as well, in the opposite direction.  
I plopped down back in my seat, trying to hold my tears back once more. I hated it, we shouldn’t fight. We were all we had left.   
Prompto resigned himself and sat down next to me in complete silence, not even glancing at me.   
I looked through the window at my left in an attempt to conceal my face and also distract my mind from what just happened. I was usually sensitive, yet the latest events made me so emotional it was incredibly easy for me to get the sudden urge to cry.   
It was just the fact that we were distancing from each other, that the glee was gone and we were reduced to a silent group despite our once lively banter. It hurt too much.  
Prompto then placed a hand in my arm and made me turn to him, silently asking me with his eyes if I was okay. I shook my head and glanced over to Ignis, implying that I didn’t want him to know.   
The blond nodded and sat up straight, placing an arm over me to comfort me. It caused me to completely break down, however. I quickly shoved my face on his shirt and sobbed as silently as I could, trying to calm myself down before Ignis noticed. He was blind, but neither deaf nor stupid. Surely, he already knew I was starting to cry. As usual, he just preferred to stay quiet about it.   
Prompto engulfed me in the sweetest and safest embrace by putting his other arm around me, using his hand to soothingly rub my back. I crumpled the fabric of his shirt in my hand and focused in taking deep breaths to calm myself.   
It felt like the ring in my other fist was burning my skin, even though I felt no real heat. It was but a reminder of everything that was wrong with the world at that very moment.   
My boyfriend held me tenderly, whispering sweet nothings in my ear so lowly that Ignis would have no way of hearing them.   
“It will be alright, Alex, give it time”   
I was too pessimistic at that moment to believe him, however. It was true that his attentions were calming me down and halting my sobs, yet not because his words reassured me. It was merely his affection that comforted me in any way.  
Because after weeks, nothing had changed. Noctis and Gladiolus were still on bad terms, Ignis’ eyesight hadn’t come back even though his wounds had mended and he assured it was a matter of time, and Prompto was as broken because of it all as I was.   
I took a deep breath when my sobs stopped and relaxed my pained and tense posture against Prompto. He softened his grip as well, noticing the change.   
I broke away and nodded to tell him I was okay when he looked down to me, his eyes laced with concern. He nodded too and let go of me.   
“I should give the ring back to Noct” I squeezed Prompto’s hand in appreciation before standing up. Since he was following me with his glance as I did, I pointed my finger at him and then at Ignis to ask him to keep him company and look after him without Ignis noticing. Prompto nodded as all response. I was aware of the fact that it was not necessary for me to tell him, he would do it anyway. Yet I wanted to nonetheless.   
I walked around the train car looking for Noctis until I found him sitting a few rows away from ours. He seemed pensive as he kept his pale eyes glued to the scenery outside the window.  
“Noct” I softly called him as to not startle him, he seemed extremely deep in thought. He turned his head to me and rolled his eyes slightly as soon as they fell over my grave countenance. Hoping he didn’t mind, I sat in front of him.   
“If you’re gonna tell me off me, save it” Noctis told me dryly.   
“I am not” I paused, observing his facial expression as his gaze returned to the window. “I don’t agree with what Gladiolus said”   
“You seriously must be pissed” Blandly, he rested his jaw over his hand as he rested his elbow on side of the window. “You stopped calling him ‘Gladiolus’ a long time ago”   
He was absolutely right, I had grown accustomed to calling him Gladio instead. And of course, his behavior upset me and caused me to call him Gladiolus all over again.   
Yet, even if I could agree with him on the fact that it was easier to hide your feelings behind a façade of anger, he needn’t be so harsh on Noctis. I understood that he was merely trying to encourage him, but his methods were debatable.   
“It is extremely easy for him to say those things” While I was quite emotional myself, I could sympathize with Noctis’ grief. “However, he was right about something”   
That last statement gathered my friend’s attention, as he turned his head again and fixed his eyes on me.   
“What?” He tiredly asked me.   
“You should have the ring” I reached out with my closed fist, the one that carried the ring of the Lucii. “It does not belong to me after all”   
“I don’t want it” Noctis showed a grimace that he managed to quickly control and hide. “Keep it”   
“Noct-“   
“Keep it!”  
When the silence established between us, I let out a light vexed sigh. Then, after several seconds, I said something else.   
“You are allowed to talk about your feelings, Your Highness” I reminded him, seeing as he seemed to have forgotten. “Kings are people after all, and they do suffer as such”   
Noctis then stared at me in a strange manner, almost as tough he had been caught off guard and couldn’t find the words to properly reply.   
“Perhaps Gladiolus is not too keen of hearing it, but the rest of us-“   
“I know you’re there for me” Noctis interrupted me, finally dedicating me a sweet and reluctant smile. “You don’t have to say it every time, Alex”   
When his attention was directed outside once more, I stood up and prepared to join Ignis and Prompto back at their seats.   
“Are you sure that you don’t want the ring yet?”   
“Hang on to it for me”   
I nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at me, and headed back to the other seats.   
As soon as they heard me approach them, they lifted their heads. I exchanged a look with Prompto and shook my head, letting him know Noctis had rejected the ring. He sighed sadly. Ignis didn’t have to ask me because he already knew Noct was pigheaded enough to refuse it. And heartbroken as well.   
I reclaimed my spot next to Prompto and tenderly rested my head over his shoulder. He didn’t move, did nothing to acknowledge my loving gesture. Prompto was so… spiritless. He was usually the lively addition, the one that kept our spirits up and infected us with his smile and bubbly mood. Yet he was the one needing cheering up this time. It was too exhausting for him to keep that up, and he was currently crestfallen.   
It was… wrong. What would the world be without its sunshine? It would only be engulfed by darkness, which was such a harrowing thought.  
I took my phone out and looked through the few photographs I had saved in it. I found the one I was looking for, the silly selfie I had sent him when we texted each other in Hammerhead. And I sent him again to him, hoping that small gesture encouraged him and that such goofy picture provoked a smile. Prompto checked his phone, surprised, and chuckled at the sight of my text message.   
“Thanks, Xanders” Finally, I saw a hint of a smile on his lips, I had missed it. Even if his voice was still lacking his upbeat tone, yet I didn’t expect to magically heal him of all sadness. Especially given the circumstances.   
He leaned closer to me and pecked my cheek.   
“Shall I remind you that while I can’t see, I can still hear you?” Ignis’ voice said, with a hint of playfulness. He was trying too.   
Prompto and I giggled a bit, regaining some of the spark that we had lost after the events in Altissia.   
“Sorry, Iggy”   
“It was just a kiss on the cheek…”   
“I am glad to know you are a couple now, nonetheless”   
“Thanks, Ignis” I wasn’t solely thanking him for his honest comment, but for everything.  
Everything Ignis had done for me along the years, the fact that he was willing to stay by our side despite not having recovered his eyesight, that he was willing to say something that would subtly lighten the mood.   
Yet he modestly bowed his head as all response. I had the feeling that he understood all the truth behind my thanks.   
I glanced over to Prompto next, just to be received with his gentle and vibrant blue eyes that displayed such a loving glance that I fondly smiled. He did the same.   
I rested my head on his shoulder again, albeit this time I also took his hand and held it in mine. I wanted to be his sunshine, because he inspired me to be positive even during my darkest moments. Because he had taught me that it was worth pushing through them as long as we were there to make our friends happy.


	15. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ignis' injury, Alexandria isolates herself from the group. The tension is such that she seems to be in bad terms with them all, including Prompto.

Attentive about Ignis’ condition, I had followed him and Gladiolus to the dining car. However, when they sat down I found that I had no appetite whatsoever.  
“Where’s Prompto?” Noctis usually wandered around at will, yet the blond mostly stuck with the group unless something truly caught his attention. And quite honestly, I doubted something could have piqued his interest in Cartanica. As we arrived, I had noticed it was a dull environment, quite deserted and uneventful.  
“Don’t know” Gladiolus replied with a careless shrug.  
“I believe he headed outside” Ignis was more useful on the matter.  
I looked back at Gladio, but he refused to hold my glance. Being used to solving conflicts through communication, I had the desire to sit down with him and settle our differences, let him know my opinions and thoughts about it. Nonetheless, I was yet resentful about the scene in the train involving him and Noctis and needed more time in order to be able to address the situation in a mature way.  
I left the train to go look for Prompto, honestly not looking forward to staying with Ignis as long as Gladiolus was by his side. Soon enough, I found him leaning on the fence to the side of the station and watching the view. I should have realized, as there was quite a golden hue that illuminated the entire area.  
I approached him, announcing my presence by loudly stepping across the wooden platform under my boots. Upon hearing me, he looked over his shoulder for an instant.  
As his gaze returned to the landscape, I wrapped my arms around him from behind.  
“Are you alright?” I gently whispered, still sensing too much stillness and dullness to his usually rambunctious persona.  
“Yeah” Holding his arms above my head, he turned around to meet me in a frontal embrace instead. Not letting go of each other, we both faced the view and silently admired the sunlight that bathed the lands before us. It was quite calming and pleasing.  
As his arms wrapped around me and his hands rested on my back, his thumbs caressed me almost unnoticeably. Yet such small gesture made me smile in spite of myself, as it reminded me of how loving he was.  
“Where’s Noct?” I asked him, accommodating myself on his chest and closing my eyes.  
His arms brought me comfort again, and the hug felt more wonderful than the view.  
“Around” Prompto quietly mumbled, a tad absent-minded.  
“It is quite early to be sunset already, don’t you think?” I changed the subject not to dwell on the current situation we were in.  
“Now that you mention it…” Prompto rested his cheek against the side of my head.  
I wished I could see his expression to confirm my suspicions about him being disheartened. I wanted to stare into his wonderful lively blue eyes and feel euphoria again, giggle like a child and pass my happiness on to him.  
“Hey, Xanders” Slightly breaking the closeness, he leaned away from me. Even if his hands firmly rested on the small of my back so I wouldn’t be able to completely break the embrace.  
I glanced at him until our eyes met and was overwhelmed by their beauty up close. There were galaxies in those eyes, and they were so warm and intoxicating.  
“Yes?”  
“No long faces in there, ‘kay?”  
“Not as long as you’re in there, sunshine”  
A pause came in which Prompto observed me in utter shock, his mouth agape. I also grimaced at the cheesiness of my words.  
“Aw, that was so cute!” He exclaimed in his excited high-pitched voice. I pursed my lips in feigned frustration and shook my head to negate my statement.  
“You heard nothing!”  
“Yeah, I did! Heh! I gotta tell the boys what you just said, they’re gonna love it!”  
“No you don’t, they will tease me for life”  
“Ha!” He heartedly chuckled. “But they need to know you said something adorable!!”  
“Shut up already” I placed my hands on his nape and pushed his neck down until our mouths met. I felt how a smirk formed in his lips before he reciprocated the kiss.  
As soon as our lips connected I was filled with a warmth that spread all over me, accompanied by a calmness that collided with the usual nervousness that established within me as long as he was by my side. My eyes closed themselves as we slowly moved our mouths in sync and squeezed each other even tighter. My fingers gently tugged at the ends of his soft hair while he intertwined his in my back, resting his palms against my shirt. We broke away and smiled at each other, experiencing great giddiness and joy.  
I nuzzled my nose in his shoulder and breathed out against his jacket. It felt like as long as I was being held by him nothing could go wrong, and I embraced that feeling. No matter how corny it might have been, it was too pleasant to be a bad thing. It made me hide my smile against his shoulder.  
We held each other in silence, trying to prolong the feeling of safety and happiness as we had done in Altissia. 

 

When Noct told us he was ready to take the elevator that would carry us down into the depths of the mine, we followed his lead. I wondered if he had been crying as I hadn’t seen him shed a tear.  
I walked with Prompto, accompanying Noctis to the elevator. That was, until I saw Gladiolus and Ignis marching along with us.  
“Ignis” I ran after him and held him by the arm sternly, concerned about the look of determination in his face.  
“Yes?”  
“Are you coming with us?”  
“Why, of course”  
I had assumed that he wouldn’t go into the mine, blind as he was.  
“You… you can’t come with us” I stammered in shock, agitated upon his extreme loyalty.  
“Do not worry about me, Alexandria” His voice was soft and so were his movements as his arm left my hand. I glared at Gladiolus, irritated that he hadn’t talked him out of it. Defiant, the big man glared back.  
“Wouldn’t listen to me” He shrugged one shoulder carelessly.  
“Perhaps you should have tried harder” I told him angrily, glaring at him. That said, I stormed over to the elevator and reluctantly accepted the situation. 

 

The mine was dark and wet, and I wasn’t sure whether I preferred the icy temperatures of the cave behind the waterfall or the constant dampness of the quarry.  
Only Prompto would utter a comment that broke the silence. Other than that, the void was filled with the sound of sloshing or dripping. I was definitely soaked to the bone due to all that water.  
I followed Noctis closely as he quietly navigated through the dungeon. I preferred to stay close to someone to calm my fear of darkness, and his flashlight exerted more luminosity to the path as it was added to mine.  
I wanted to engage in a conversation with him, yet I found no suitable subjects to comment on. I could have spoken about Tenebrae, yet after the disagreement with Gladiolus, Noctis wouldn’t feel eager to talk about it.  
Surely, the reason why Noct leaded so far ahead from the rest was precisely because of this. Very much like myself, he was avoiding direct confrontation with Gladiolus –as they were somewhat mad at each other –and with Ignis –the man that had sacrificed himself to protect Noct and who ended up severely injured.  
I kept glancing back to the latter in order to make sure he could follow our pace. Tables had turned as I was the one watching him instead of the other way around. Suddenly, he tripped and nearly fell. I was about to run to his aid, but Prompto was there for him. Although he wasn’t fast enough to completely avoid his fall, he at least softened it.  
As I resigned myself and glanced back ahead, I thought that it consoled me to know that my boyfriend kept an eye on him, as I didn’t feel strong enough to stick with him myself. Not gotten used to Ignis’ blindness still, it felt too painful to see him struggle like that. Solely being reminded of this because of the scars on his face was heartbreaking enough. Ever since I knew him, Ignis Scientia was a strong and capable man that always had every situation under his control, there was nothing that could bring him down. His current disability was showing me a much more dependent and exposed side of him, which anguished me deeply. Especially as there was nothing we could do to change it.  
“Hey, baby” Prompto was suddenly next to me, sweetly taking my hand in his.  
I immediately turned to Ignis, yet realized Gladio was helping him while Prompto came to talk to me. I was relieved to see Prompto didn’t leave him by his lonesome.  
“Baby?” I repeated in surprise, intertwining our fingers together.  
“You don’t like it? Prefer honey, or sweetie?” The conversation felt quite forced and awkward.  
“They are all alright”  
When Prompto paused and a silence established, I could tell he was about to address something quite delicate. I inquiringly stared at him, awaiting his incoming observation.  
“Hey, you… haven’t gotten close to Iggy and-“  
“I’m aiding Noct to navigate the quarry” It was a big lie, yet Ignis was a sensitive issue for me at the moment and I didn’t want to talk about it. Not even with Prompto.  
“Dude, you haven’t said a word to each other!” Prompto disagreed, letting go of our joined hands and stopping in our tracks. “It’s Iggy, he’s like… your best friend!!”  
I glanced around me and saw Gladio helping Ignis walk, both of them passing by us as they resignedly followed Noctis around the quarry in the hopes he found the tomb soon enough. Gladiolus didn’t utter the expected comment involving words like ‘what’s with the lover’s fight’, but he did eye us carefully.  
“I don’t want to talk about it” I sternly averted my gaze from Prompto’s.  
“But I really think you need to fix this!” He clicked his tongue in annoyance. “You and Ignis are so close that-“  
“It is not your business, Prompto!” I burst out before I could reflect on the consequences that my words would have. I recognized a wave of hurt crossing across his expression when my eyes fell over him again. But rather than to admit it, Prompto frowned in a sad yet stern and resigned gesture and nodded.  
“Fine…” Prompto yielded in a low voice.  
“Fine” I wasn’t brave enough to face him again and apologize, so instead I kept on walking to catch up with our friends.  
So much for the ‘no long faces’ plan.

 

Eventually, we arrived to a big body of greenish water plagued with gurangatch creatures. Surprisingly, it triggered a twisted smirk on my lips as I believed the battle would allow me to vent some of the stress, anger and anxiety I had been harboring these days.  
I summoned my sword, knowing slicing and smacking enemies with it would prove more efficient with said purpose than my handgun. I defeated the closest one with ease, even though I breathed heavily as a result of the physical strain. However, it was somehow cathartic and relieving. It brought a smile of satisfaction to my lips, but said smile soon disappeared when I was reminded of my friends. Ignis! Where was Ignis?  
I searched around in anguish until I spotted him not too much further from me, fighting alongside Prompto, who still lingered by his side. I released the breath I had unconsciously being holding and nodded to myself.  
I suddenly screamt in fear and surprise, though, when something painfully clasped around my leg and pulled me down into the water.  
“Alex!” My friends yelled worriedly. All of them sprinted in my direction as I struggled to break free from the mandibles that held me captive. I would have swung my sword at the beast if it weren’t because it was violently shaking me.  
Just in the nick of time, the sound of gunfire closed in and the gurangatch released my leg, distracted as it turned to Prompto. Luckily, although my friends couldn’t have reached me in time, his aim had saved me.  
I furiously smacked the creature with my sword, repeatedly, until it withered. And before it could retaliate or attack my friends.  
“Wake up, Alex!” Gladio shouted at me.  
“Sir, yes, sir!” I bitterly replied, angrily standing up and paying no attention to my small wound.  
“You okay, baby?” Prompto had finally made its way over to me.  
“I’m fine” Trudging across the water that surrounded us and that reached up to our shins, I continued the path to the tomb. 

 

Getting to the royal tomb was quite an ordeal. An abandoned vehicle blocked our advance and we wasted loads of time in getting a machine running so it would move it and free our path. We also encountered many more creatures that further hindered our progress. We were all irritated and tired, especially me. I was in bad terms with Gladiolus and my shin hurt there where the bloody gurangatch caught it with its mandibles. Not to mention we had to defeat a bloody Malboro. If it weren’t for Ignis’ intelligent tactic of throwing a fire bomb at its mouth, we would have never been able to stand a chance against it.  
“A moment?” Ignis stopped us before we could abandon the blasted mines.  
“Is everything okay?” Gladio worried, observing our friend.  
“It bloody well isn’t” Ignis adamantly replied. “And I won’t suffer this pointless bickering in silence any longer”  
I nodded to myself, knowing he would finally opine on Gladiolus’ treatment of Noctis once and for all. He had been far too neutral and quiet on the subject.  
We all waited patiently until he spoke up again.  
“Let’s be frank. My vision hasn’t improved, and probably won’t” That reminder caused a pang in my chest. I felt miserable as I looked down to the water that reached up to our shins. “Yet in spite of this… I would remain with you all. Until the very end”  
“Sorry, but I object” Gladiolus was fast to express himself. “War is a matter of life and death”  
“For once I agree with the big guy” I stated, determined as I looked up and at Ignis. “It is far too dangerous and-“  
“But, we’ll be there!” Prompto interrupted, glaring both at and Gladio and I.  
“It’s not so easy, Prom” I replied, surprised by his courage and determination. “Of course we will be there, always! Yet Ignis’ safety is at stake and… and…”  
Truth was I didn’t want to say anything that might hurt his feelings, nor imply that he had been rendered useless due to his blindness. He had saved us from the Malboro after all.  
Nonetheless, it was far too dangerous for him to accompany us. If something were to happen to Ignis I could never live with it, I merely wanted to protect him and keep him safe at all costs, even at the expense of excluding him.  
“It’s not about us looking out for him” Gladiolus continued when I hesitated and left my sentence unfinished.  
“Uh-huh” Prompto frowned with stern determination and faced him. “Well, then he should be free to choose”  
I sighed and shook my head, too mentally drained to engage in the discussion still.  
“There’s more to it than just what he wants!”  
“I know full well!” Ignis broke the argument, tired of having to listen to us speaking as tough he wasn’t there. “I won’t ask you to slow down. If I can’t keep up, I will bow out!”  
“What says ‘His Majesty’?” Indeed, Noctis hadn’t spoken up at all.  
“Noct, you are king” Ignis told him with soft yet severe tone. “One cannot lead by standing still. A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back”  
Perhaps I had been too indulgent of Noctis. I was only then realizing he could have taken more action, taken matters into his own hands to put an end to it all. Yet I remained strong in my belief that he needed time to recover from his emotional wounds, who could prove almost as troublesome as any physical injuries.  
“Gladio, Noct will take his rightful place, but only once he’s ready” Ignis continued, venting all his emotions and opinions on the matter.  
“Have it your way” Although he seemed to budge slightly, the Shield lingered on his stubborn demeanor. “We’re still taking a big risk. We better all be ready”  
Seeing as Gladio started walking on his own, Prompto followed reluctantly. I did too, sensing that perhaps Ignis would want to say something more to Noctis.  
Gladiolus did not look back as he walked ahead on his own.  
“Hey” Prompto sighed behind me, gently taking me by the upper arm. “What was that?”  
“What was what, Prompto?” Irritated, I turned to him and noticed his hurt expression.  
“Alex, I thought you had Iggy’s back!” He tiredly let go of my arm and frowned in frustration.  
“And I do! What do you mean?”  
“He wants to come with us, why won’t you let him?” There was clear exasperation tangible in his voice. “It’s one thing that Gladio doesn’t want him to, but you…”  
“Because he can get hurt, or even killed, Prompto!” I exclaimed, lowering my volume when I realized he might hear me. “We need to protect him!”  
“You should be helping him instead!” Just like when he had faced Gladio, the blond showed great courage and determination to be confronting me.  
“Isn’t it the same thing?”  
“No, it’s not” He shook his head, vehemently, and intensely glanced at me. “You expect him to stand back and do nothing while you should be supporting him and let him choose”  
“Prompto…”  
“When you were feeling weak and vulnerable, Ignis never treated you like you were, and he made sure you knew your worth” He paused for a moment, gulping nervously yet adamantly. “When you decided to leave for Hammerhead and get stronger, Ignis was worried and scared for you, but he still let you go because he knew how important it was for you, and because he believed in you”  
I was left astonished by his words, by how honest and direct he was being. I had never seen that side of him and the fact that he was discovering such truths to me rendered me speechless. I never quite stopped to think about it, yet Prompto opened my eyes. Ignis was feeling like I had felt for our entire journey. Vulnerable, weak and helpless. And like Prompto said, he had never treated me as such. He had supported me and never doubted me, how hypocritical was it that I was turning my back on him just then? When he needed me the most? When I finally had the chance to give back all that he had done for me?  
“I’m… disappointed, Alex” I actually let out a gasp upon hearing those words. It brought me back to Altissia, where I was standing under the rain in a state of panic and shock. When Ardyn, disguised as Prompto, had said precisely that with the intention of breaking me.  
For a brief moment my brain made the connection and made me terrified of the possibility that the person standing there with me wasn’t Prompto, but Ardyn again. Yet the rational part of my mind argued that it was improbable. Ardyn wasn’t that good of an actor, and certainly didn’t have the patience to maintain the act for so long. Besides, despite the odd roughness in his expression, the softness and tenderness remained in his eyes. It was clear that he wasn’t enthused about clashing with me, yet he felt the need to stand his ground and defend his beliefs. No matter how affected I was, no matter how much it hurt us both.  
“I’m… I’m sorry, Alex, but it’s the truth” In an attempt to lessen the impact of what he said, he got back to being soft and gentle like he always way. “I don’t mean it in a bad way, I-I just…”  
He must have noticed how shaken up those simple words left me, because his brow furrowed in concern and almost regret. For several seconds, he hesitated. His blue eyes analyzed me and sadly observed me before he gulped with resigned determination.  
“I’m gonna stand by him” Prompto stated firmly, and I noticed how his hands closed into fists. Then he turned around and proceeded to walk off.  
Prompto was walking away. He was leaving me there standing in uncertainty.  
As though it wasn’t bad enough that I was upset with Gladiolus, afraid to confront Ignis and reluctant to speak with Noctis wasn’t enough… Things were falling apart with Prompto too? I had to do something to avoid it, start taking action. Ignis had said it himself despite the words being directed to Noctis as a king, one cannot take control by standing still.  
“Prompto” I called him before he could completely walk away in disappointment.  
“What?” His eyes stubbornly fell over me, yet they softened their roughness as soon as he recognized my vulnerable expression.  
“You’re right” I inhaled a trembling breath. “I should support Ignis, just like he has been supporting me. Always, unconditionally”  
“But?”  
“But I’m terrified”  
Prompto’s brow unknitted, and he urgently stepped closer to me. His strong and determined stance collapsed as soon as he realized I was truly distraught and not merely being pigheaded.  
“Ignis has always been so strong… It’s too hard to be supportive when I watch how vulnerable he can be now” I bowed my head down in defeat and sighed. “It’s far easier wanting him to relinquish if that ensures his safety than to watch him struggle only to be in danger and potentially get hurt”  
His hand delicately brushed against mine, asking for permission, and I allowed him to take it for comfort.  
“It’s painful to accept his new situation, not to mention watching him struggle” I sighed again, feeling braver with his hand clasped with mine. “But I should confront him and tell him I want him to come with us if that’s what he really wants, just… help him”  
“That’s my girl” Prompto gave me a loud and heartfelt kiss on the cheek. “Maybe you should try talking to Gladio too!”  
“One problem at a time” I chuckled at his suggestion.  
The both of us started moving, noticing that Noctis and Ignis had passed us by without us noticing. Hopefully they were too immersed in a conversation of their own to take notice of ours.  
We soon reached Ignis and we walked alongside him in silence for a brief moment until Prompto let go of my hand, snatching the feeling of safety with him.  
I felt childish again when I was overcame with an urge to cry upon thinking of facing him, which was starting to be a common occurrence. Yet I refused. I clenched my jaw and tightened my fists to bravely approach the subject. I would not let fear and weakness conquer my life anymore.  
I gingerly placed a hand in his shoulder, not wanting to startle him.  
“Ignis” I called him hesitantly, fearing he would be upset.  
“Alexandria” He instantly recognized my voice and turned to the sound of it.  
“There’s something I would like to tell you” I absently turned to the sound of water sloshing and followed Prompto with my glance as he distanced himself from us. He dedicated me an encouraging thumbs up before going with Noct.  
“I’m listening”  
“I want nothing more than for you to come with us” I approached the matter directly, abstaining from any unnecessary stalling. “But I’m worried and… terrified”  
“I’m afraid I don’t quite follow you…”  
“Ignis, you mean so much to me that… it is heartbreaking enough to accept your state, and it is furthermore so watching you struggle…”  
“I understand” Ignis nodded gravely. “It is comprehensible that you are feeling in such a manner”  
“Yet this is not about me, Iggy…” To show my affection, I effusively squeezed his arm. “It is about helping a dear friend, and I should leave all that behind to do so”  
Ignis didn’t reply at first, merely keeping quiet instead and awaiting a more elaborate explanation. Hence, I continued speaking and exposed all my thoughts to him.  
“What I mean to say is I fully support you if you’re willing to fight alongside us like you always have” My hand lingered on his arm, and I refused to withdraw it. “Not only because you have done the same for me all my life, or because it is my duty as your friend to support you but… because I want to”  
I could tell by his expression and by his small smile that he was delighted to be hearing such words.  
“It is quite shocking how much you have matured in such a brief period of time” There was also so much pride and respect in his voice. “You have grown to be a wise and courageous young woman, even more so than you were before”  
“You’re actually going to manage to make me cry” I half joked, although genuine tears threatened to spill from my eyes.  
Ignis softly chuckled at my comment, showing me a loving and tender smile.  
I had always respected that he wasn’t quite fond of initiating broad displays of affection, yet I wanted to convey my fondness to conclude that emotional and intimate moment we just shared. I collided with him in an embrace that I very much needed from him. That I had been too scared to initiate up until that point where the urge was too strong to fight it anymore.  
“I love you, Iggy” I mumbled against his chest, fearing that I was getting far too emotional yet not caring about it at all anymore. “You’re my best friend and you’re my family, and I will always stand by you”  
After several more seconds of awe, Ignis let out a fond chuckle and wrapped his arms around me as well, albeit slightly clumsy and shyly. His head also leaned against mine.  
“I am quite fond of you too, Alexandria” His hand sweetly patted my back as he spoke. “I feel the same way about you, darling”  
I lingered on the hug for just a little bit longer before I broke the contact, aware that Ignis wouldn’t do it first and would let me do so when I felt appropriate instead.  
Awkwardly, I cleared my throat. Ignis’ brows furrowed at the sound.  
“We should go back with the others” I assured to conceal my embarrassment.  
“After you” My friend mumbled, but I held his arm instead and guided him as he walked beside me. Our friends heard us approaching them and stopped their walking so we would regroup. Gladiolus was fast to take my place in taking Ignis by the arm and guiding him back to the entrance.  
Still feeling quite emotional about that moment, happy tears welled up in my eyes. I was so proud of all my friends, and even though we would sometimes clash and have our differences we were always loyal to each other. We had gone through so much together that not even that seemed to be the end of our friendship, because no matter how sensitive or irritable we were, we still remained at the other’s side.  
I affectionately placed an arm over Noctis’ shoulder and other over Prompto’s and gently squeezed them against me.  
“Whoa” Prompto uttered, taken by surprise. “Alex, you okay?”  
“Yeah, why are you hugging us?” Noctis observed me wearily as well.  
“Are… are you crying?” My boyfriend worried, urgently putting a hand in my back.  
“No, I’m not crying” A smile was present in my lips at all times, a sad yet happy smile. A bittersweet feeling had taken over me due to my emotional state.  
“What’s gotten into you?” Noctis exclaimed, baffled and mildly concerned.  
“Nothing!” I assured, albeit too self-conscious to reciprocate their stares. “I’m just feeling affectionate, is all”  
“Aw” Prompto tightened the contact by settling a hand on my hip. “That’s cute!”  
Noctis, on the other hand, kept suspicious about my outburst of affection.  
“Did you hit your head during the fight or what?”  
“Shut up, Noct” I pushed him a little before I left them and carried on my own. When I looked back at them they were exchanging a clueless look as they shrugged their shoulders in resignation.

 

Prompto was tenacious in his attempts to discover what I had told Ignis and what he had responded to render me in such a sentimental and poignant mood. Seeing as I wouldn’t budge, however, he surrendered and went for a bite at the dining car as soon as we returned to the train.  
Moments after, I took notice of a familiar burly man that entered the car I was sitting in.  
“Gladio” I called him, having the urge to solve our issues. He hadn’t noticed me at first, yet his amber eyes fell over me when I called him. With a small sigh, he obliged and approached me. The big man paused once he was close enough and then sat down in front of me.  
“What?” He leaned a hand on his thigh, attentive yet mildly defiant about what I wanted to tell him.  
“We should put an end to this puerile dispute” I began to say in a peacemaking tone.  
I could tell by the look he gave me next that he did not enjoy our quarrel either. I could only talk for myself, but it was quite unnerving being mad at my friends. And I was willing to set my pride and arrogance aside in order to solve our differences.  
Gladiolus remained silent, watching me closely and waiting until I was finished talking.  
“I think it is only wise to speak our thoughts and solve things between us”  
“Fine” His tense posture relaxed a tad as he leaned back on his seat and calmly crossed his strong arms over his chest. “I think you’re spoiling Noct, just like Iggy is”  
“Well, I personally believe you’re being too hard on him” I rebutted from my part. “He’s had enough with losing his beloved Lady Lunafreya and having the guilt of Ignis’ sacrifice”  
A tender glance arrived to his eyes as his brow furrowed at my words. Those findings weren’t new to him, Gladio already knew.  
“He’s the King, Alex” My friend patiently told me, his voice soft and gentle. “I get that he’s upset, but he can’t let any of that get in the way of his duty”  
“Why wouldn’t you tell him this? In the way that you’re telling me?”  
“Because he needs to stop feeling sorry for himself and take action already, and softness will get me nowhere with that stubborn kid”  
I had to chuckle slightly at his words, somehow finding them amusing.  
“You’d be surprised of how understanding that royal brat can be if you allow him a chance” I spoke softly, hinting that I was merely attempting to achieve peace and not to upset him.  
“I know that, kid” Gladio sighed, he seemed tired. “But I’m his Shield, not only to protect him from harm. I also need to remind him of his place, make sure he becomes the king he has to be”  
I nodded, acknowledging that statement. He was absolutely right, yet… there were so many different methods to achieve that same goal he chased.  
“But it’s the only way you know how, isn’t it?” I asked when I was hit with realization. Gladio averted his gaze and instead leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs as his eyes gravely pierced me.  
“Do you think Lunafreya would be happy to see that Noct is dwelling on her death instead of honoring her memory and taking action?”  
“Surely, you understand how much grief he’s going through because of said sacrifice” I paused, yet rushed to carry on upon noticing Gladiolus had opened his mouth and was ready to interrupt me. “Not to mention Ignis’ sacrifice as well!”  
“Of course I understand, Alex!” He replied, nearly offended by my insinuation. “The point is, he can’t let that get in the way”  
“Like Ignis himself said, Gladio: Noct will reclaim his rightful place only once he’s ready” Feeling like we had gone to a sharp tangent, I heaved a vexed sigh. “Yet this isn’t about him, it is about the fact that it pains me deeply to be in bad terms with you”  
Gladio’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, not quite expecting such honest and broad words. A kind smile then arrived to his lips as he patted my hand. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that a man with such a gentle and tender glance, dripping emotion, could behave so emotionlessly. Yet that was the entire point of his demeanor. I was realizing only then, as I never quite understood the reasoning behind his actions. Until that very moment.  
Gladiolus was merely trying to keep his head cold and his heart in the right place in order to properly serve Noctis. He felt strongly despite it all and fought to keep his emotions at bay, not allowing them to get in the way of his duty. It was quite admirable.  
“Then forget about it” He finally spoke after a long silence. “I don’t like being mad at you either”  
“We… do have different opinions, yet we should find a mature way to accept it rather than giving each other the silent treatment, and…” I gawked at him as I saw him standing up and showing me a smug grin. “And using communication to settle our differences”  
“Let’s agree to disagree” Gladio smirked as he offered his hand for me to shake.  
“Very well” I smiled and shook his hand, deeply relieved that the tension was gone.  
Not completely content with it, however, I gave him a quick hug to show my fondness.  
“Well, nice chat, glad we’re good” He patted my back in amusement as I separated myself from him. “I gotta go talk to Iggy now”  
“Is something wrong?” I asked upon noticing the hurried demeanor as he impatiently eyed the door.  
“I’m on a mission” Gladio whispered with complicity. “Iggy heard people talking about nights getting longer and I’m investigating it”  
“Oh, that, I noticed something as well”  
“Yeah, hard to miss… So I gotta go report” He proceeded to leave the car, yet I stopped him to say one last thing to him.  
“Gladio” When he turned to me, I smiled sweetly at him. “Glad to be back”  
He winked an eye at me and then finally left.

 

I should have known wandering around the cars while looking for Prompto wasn’t a good idea. Havoc had suddenly erupted in the train and I couldn’t tell where none of my friends were.  
I hoped that Noctis and Prompto were together while Ignis and Gladio were allegedly talking about the longer nights issue at the time of the attack. As of myself, I frantically moved from one car to the other in an attempt to find any of them, although my advance was hindered by the exploding windows and the sudden appearance of imperial crafts that bombarded us as well as MT troopers that assaulted me.  
On my rush, I bumped into someone and nearly knocked that person onto the ground.  
“Alexandria?” Came his voice, even though I couldn’t understand how he recognized me. Perhaps the sound of my shoes, or my scent? I hadn’t said anything for him to recognize my voice.  
“Iggy!” I exclaimed, greatly relieved to find him. I clutched his arm in apprehension. “Are you alright?”  
“I’m unharmed” He nodded, trying to reach for my arm as well until he found it. “Are you injured?”  
“No, I’m okay” Distraught about the chaos surrounding us and the innocent passengers that were put in danger, I anxiously glanced around me. “Do you know where the rest are?”  
“I can’t seem to find Noct nor Prompto. However, Gladio should be close by”  
“Wait here” I gently tapped his shoulder. “I will go look for him”  
“Not quite, I will go with you”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes, I’m certain”  
“Very well…” I gave in, although I didn’t like the idea. “Please be careful”  
“Always am”  
Ignis rested a hand on my shoulder and followed me while I navigated through the hectic train filled with frightened people and aggressive MTs. Pieces of shattered glass were scattered all over the floor and they squeaked as we stepped on them. Through the broken windows I could see many imperial ships flying above us, releasing new waves of troopers as they also bombed the train.  
I shouted when an MT appeared out of nowhere in front of us, summoning my sword and easily slaying it with an efficient attack. Ignis breathed heavily behind me, but he hadn’t been touched.  
Anxious about finding Gladio and getting ourselves out of danger’s way, I moved faster and guided Ignis to the next car. Fortunately, we found our stray friend in there. Perhaps he would know where to find Prom and Noct.  
“Gladio!” I called him, seeing as he was too busy with defeating two MTs. Absently, he looked over his shoulder long enough to briefly acknowledge our presence and heavily swung his sword at them until they were done for.  
“Where the hell were you?” He walked over to us and worriedly looked us up and down.  
Gladio paused to nod at me, gesture that I ventured was in a silent thank you for looking after Ignis as well as myself. Then he scowled and huffed in annoyance.  
“Have you seen the others?”  
“I can’t find them anywhere, dammit!”  
“Crap” I uttered under my breath. “I hope they’re safe!”  
“Do not fear” Ignis reassured me. “They will protect one another”  
“Sure as hell hope so” Gladio angrily shook his head. “That damn kid, recklessly going on his own…”  
“What should we do?” I turned to Ignis, even if I glanced from him back to Gladio and to Ignis again.  
“Be patient” He wisely resolved. “Protect the people until the attack passes”  
“Wait until we have news from Prompto and Noct?”  
“Precisely”  
“Let’s do it”  
Gladio lead the way as we scoured all over the train and did our best to keep the innocent people from any harm. Even if our friends lingered in our minds and in our prayers.

 

Even after the Empire stopped attacking the train, there was still no trace of Noctis and Prompto. I was starting to get genuinely frightened about their whereabouts.  
After fifteen minutes that felt like hours, Ignis’ phone rang. One of them was contacting us, hopefully to report they were both together and alright. He didn’t hesitate not one second to answer it and his sigh of relief announced good news.  
“It’s Noct” He quietly told us before focusing on the call. “What’s wrong?”  
Gladio and I exchanged restless glances while Ignis listened to Noctis in silence. As my eyes settled back on him, I noticed Iggy’s brows furrowed in a way that was clearly a bad omen.  
“Stay calm, Noct” As he finally answered, my heart sped up in anticipation. “I’m as concerned for Prompto as you are, but stopping the train would endanger everyone on board. We’d be sitting ducks for the daemons”  
I felt myself faltering when I realized something was wrong with Prompto. Had he and Noctis gotten separated? Was Prompto hurt? What had happened?!  
Gladio dropped a comforting hand on my shoulder, quite possibly reading my horrified expression. Meanwhile, Ignis continued speaking while I weakly leaned on one of the seats and focused on taking deep breaths to calm my anxiety.  
“First, we drop the passengers off at Tenebrae. We’ll be arriving shortly” Our friend paused for a brief second, and we could hear Noctis’ voice loudly and furiously shouting from the other end of the phone, although something inaudible.  
“Given the Chancellor’s involvement, it’s probable he’s no longer where we left him” Ignis replied, approaching the situation calmly and trying to soothe Noct’s fear. “In any case, he may try to contact us. Let us wait and hope for now”  
Then he lightly turned his head to us, almost as though he had just remembered about our presence there with him.  
“Can you make your way here?” He gulped, although keeping his cool. “Gladio and Alexandria are here with me”  
Assuring our friend that the three of us were alright, Ignis ended the call. Judging by his grave demeanor, I could tell something horrible had happened.  
“What is it?” I dared to ask him, ignoring the thumping beating of my heart that resonated in my ears. Ignis then pronounced the words that caused my heart to stop for several seconds.  
“Prompto fell off the train”


	16. Absent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group quickly embarks in a mission to find Prompto and recover the Crystal. However, as they reach Gralea they are sepparated and Alexandria and Noctis must put up with Ardyn as he plays with them and tries to get into their heads.

For the rest of the journey in train I observed the ring, trying to distract myself and avoid noticing Prompto’s absence. I forced thoughts about the ring of the Lucii and the Crystal to my mind instead, finding an eerie feeling taking over me that worsened the longer I carried the ring.   
I refused to talk to any of my friends and decided to become isolated instead for the time being, promising myself to quit that attitude once we arrived to Tenebrae.  
Once we reached our destination, we found with Aranea Highwind. Ignis quickly told me about their previous encounters with her. Apparently, she was a valuable force in the imperial forces yet the ex-mercenary had proven herself to be a great ally for ourselves, as she also helped them find the mythril needed to fix the ship that sailed us to Altissia. Luckily, Aranea lent us two of her men –Wedge and Biggs –and offered them to drive us to Gralea. The Crystal was apparently locked away in there, which allegedly kept the daemons away. Whatever the case, it rightfully belonged to Noctis and he was determined to take it back.   
We arrived to the conclusion that the Chancellor was behind everything, as usual, and that he quite possibly had Prompto in his power. I did not like the idea of Ardyn Izunia keeping my sunshine locked away, not one bit. I was also obsessed by the idea that if something happened to him my last words to him weren’t ones of affection. They had been pointless blabber when I could have reminded him of how important he was to me. I promised myself to tell him ‘I love you’ if… when I saw him again.   
Once we boarded the train once more, this time with a proper driver, we sat in silence at first. We now had the entire train to ourselves, yet such emptiness felt distressing. It also reminded me of Prompto’s absence, almost like the world was darker without him there with us.  
I absently glimpsed at my bracelet, nostalgic about the moment we purchased it back in Altissia. The leather bracelet that matched Prompto’s own. The one that he was so excited to buy because it meant to be sharing something with me.   
“Alex” Noctis’ voice caught my attention, and I felt relieved to have something to further distract myself with.   
“Hello, Noct” I crossed my arms over my chest, concealing both the ring and the bracelet, and looked up at him with a forced smile. Worryingly silent and solemnly, Noctis sat down in the seat in front of me and stared. I could tell by the expression of his face and the pained look in his pale eyes that he was the bearer of further bad news.   
“Look” He began to say, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. “I’m sorry”   
“About what?” I anxiously replied, although not quite sure whether I wanted to know or not.   
“About Prompto” My friend replied, as though it was obvious.  
“Oh” My artificial smile transformed into a sweet and genuine one when I took notice that he was there to comfort me. “Don’t worry about it, it was not your fault”   
I leaned forward to place a hand atop of his, knowing he must have felt distraught himself. After all, Prompto was his best friend and he cared deeply about him. Much to my bewilderment, Noctis’ hand slid away from mine, refusing the touch.   
“Hasn’t Ignis told you?” His dark thin brows furrowed in shock and astonishment.   
“T-tell me what?” I mentally prayed that if we had more information about our beloved blond, it was positive. Even if my anxiety grew at the possibility that it wasn’t.   
“He… didn’t fall off the train” Noctis looked away in shame. “He was pushed”   
“Ardyn” I immediately spit out.   
“No” He heaved a big sigh before carrying on. “I did it, I… I pushed him”   
To me it felt like the train had stopped again, like the world had stopped existing and the only thing I was aware of was the fact that Noctis was confessing to have pushed his best friend off a moving train. Shock was dominating me, making it impossible for me to feel anything else, like anger or sadness or horror.   
“How…? Noct, you…” Was all I could let out in astonishment.  
“I mean” Noctis corrected himself, very quickly. “Ardyn made me, he tricked me!”   
I watched him in silence, still too startled and speechless to manage any coherent words.   
“He… disguised himself as Prompto and Prompto as Ardyn. I should have seen through it, but I didn’t, and he tricked me! That son of a bitch made me push my best friend! And now we don’t know where he is or what happened to him or-“   
I stood up, not taking it anymore. Instead of relieving my doubts and anguish, that last statement only worsened my nervous condition. Ardyn was involved after all. Of course he was.   
“Alex?” Noctis dared to say, seeing as I was not uttering a single word or sound.  
I realized then I had stopped in front of the door that gave access to the next car of the train. I hadn’t moved from the spot, holding myself back before completely leaving the scene.  
I wanted to blame Noctis, yet I couldn’t. I wanted to shout at him, call him unconscious and stupid. Be furious with him. Cry like crazy. Leave him alone and never speak to him ever again. Give him the silent treatment as a punishment. But I didn’t. I didn’t do any of those things. No. I needed to stop running away, I needed to stop blaming everyone else for my mishaps and my feelings. I needed to be brave and confront my problems instead of childishly resolving to crying or hiding. I needed to start approaching those obstacles with maturity and diplomacy.   
I wondered if it was the ring locked in my fist which caused such an emptiness and dark apathy within me. Yet I felt like I did not have the energy to do nothing but to stand there.   
“It’s not your fault” I took a great effort, but I choked out a few words. “It wasn’t you, it was Ardyn”   
Noctis was feeling the weight of guilt crushing him at the moment, which added to everything he had in his plate already. His concern for Prompto was definitely as great as mine, and he didn’t need the unnecessary guilt. He would never consciously hurt him. Or any of us, for that matter. He had just fallen victim to one of Ardyn’s tricks and mind games, it happened to the best of us. It would be hypocritical to blame him for a mistake I made in the past as well.   
“But I should have realized it wasn’t really Prompto” Noctis was being harsher with himself than I was, he couldn’t truly forgive himself even if I did. “Then he would be here with us”   
“It’s so easy to fall into one of his traps…” I feebly turned around and tiredly plopped down back in my seat. “Anyone could have”   
“Not anyone” Noctis leaned forward, nervously playing with his hands, and shook his head, mad at himself.  
“It happened to me too” I stated, causing him to quickly look up at me in surprise. However, I continued talking when I felt the need to confess that crime, to share that horrible guilt that had been eating me alive ever since it happened back in Altissia. “Ardyn did the same to me and I made the same stupid and horrible mistake”   
Noctis’ eyes were wide with shock, his lips silently moving in a dazed attempt to say something. I resolved to carry on explaining before I regretted it or lost my courage.   
“While you were fighting the Hydraean, Prompto left to help you”   
“He… did… He helped me get there”  
“That was Prompto” I nodded, gluing my gaze to the bracelet in my wrist to avoid Noctis’ eyes. “And I thought the person that came to me next was still Prompto, but it was Ardyn”  
“What did he do?” Noctis was smart enough to realize Ardyn had used that twisted scheme to hurt me.  
“Well, he did say some unnecessary and hurtful words that would only hurt more coming from Prompto… but he also… That bastard…”   
“Did he hurt you?”   
“Well, he knocked me unconscious but…”  
“Alex, what else did he do?” I had never heard Noctis’ voice so cold and serious before, it was almost intimidating all the hatred his voice was laced with.  
“I couldn’t help Ignis” My voice broke as I confessed, and the bracelet suddenly blurred when my vision was dimmed because of my sudden tears. “If I had realized that wasn’t Prompto, I would have been able to go back to him and now he wouldn’t be blind”   
Noctis didn’t say anything. I just heard him gulping loudly and exhaling a trembling sigh.   
“That son of a bitch…” He just repeated in the end, hatred and fury still present in his tone.   
This time it was him who stood up in anger and seethed there in silence. I dared not to say anything, feeling like the tension was palpable in the air and the situation seemed fragile like glass. I feared that it I said something, Noctis might break down, or I would.   
Suddenly, a hand fell on my shoulder, comfortingly.   
“None of that matters now, we can’t change the past” Noctis stated, quite in a wise fashion, I must add. It left me dumbfounded for a second, yet I recovered quickly. I looked up at him and nodded, glad that we had somehow forgiven each other. We had shared our thoughts, those feelings that we so desperately needed to vent in order to be able to move on. Even if it would be far more difficult to forgive ourselves.

 

Fortune wasn’t favoring us, it seemed. As though the deep darkness that surrounded us wasn’t harrowing enough, an unforgiving cold overcame us seeing as we passed by the Glacian’s body as the deity was somehow killed by the Empire.   
I had shared my apprehension with Ignis about the ring of the Lucii, confessing its eerie aura triggered great concern in me, as though it was a bad omen. I could not get rid of the bad feeling that it occasioned on me. My friend, however, shrugged it off. He reassured me by saying that it was no strange that in times of trouble as such I felt distraught, yet I was quite possibly blaming it on the ring when it was nothing but an inanimate object that had no part on the current events.   
Hence, the five… four, of us sat in the train waiting until we made it to the imperial capital. That was, until the train suddenly came to a halt. We just hopped it had to do with the snow and not with something Ardyn related. We did, however, waste lots of valuable time outside investigating and battling monsters that got in our way.   
Strangely enough, the following events seemed to mix together when we hopped back into the train and Noctis was about to join us. All I knew was that I was cold, very cold, and I couldn’t truly fathom what was happening before I passed out.

 

A constant and sharp noise woke me from my restless stupor, and I found myself lying in the train floor, completely clueless about what had happened. When I lifted my head, I saw Gladio and Iggy standing to their feet and Noctis sitting down in front of me. That noise I heard was the sound of him shivering and his teeth chattering.   
“Noct?” I mumbled groggily, slowly sitting up and craning my neck to look up at Ignis and Gladio.  
“I saw the Glacian” Noctis mumbled to the two men. “It’s okay, she’s gone now. You guys check on our drivers”   
“Got it”  
“Everyone alright?” Ignis worried as Gladio took him by the arm.  
“Yes” I mumbled as they obeyed Noct’s orders. Only then did they walk away, leaving the two of us alone.   
I sighed and dragged myself closer to Noctis, realizing he wasn’t moving from his sitting spot nor was his shivering stopping. Concerned, I placed a hand on his bare forearm.   
“Noct, you’re freezing!” I exclaimed, immediately wrapping my arms around him.  
“I-I’m fine” He managed to let out, even though he could not stop shaking under me.   
I glued my body to his, with both arms placed around him, in an attempt to provide him with my body warmth and frantically rubbed my hands up and down his arms to hopefully raise his temperature. He instinctively leaned into me to further facilitate the process.   
Noctis suddenly hung his head low and his shoulders started convulsing in a way much different from his temperature shivering. I leaned forward to see his face and caught a glimpse of some tears running down his cheeks.   
“Noct…” I uttered sadly, hating to see him cry.   
I had never seen Noctis cry, and it was such a harrowing image. Witnessing one of your closest friends cry was just horrible and rendered you helpless as you wondered what you could do to stop it. Maybe even blame yourself for not avoiding it on the first place, for not being enough for them so that it ended up becoming too much.   
“I’m fine” He repeated again, sort of in a bad temper. At least it seemed like he had stop shivering as much, which was some improvement.   
Feeling extremely clumsy and incapable, I resolved to soothingly rub his back in an attempt to calm him and comfort him. I just wanted him to stop crying, to be alright.   
“I know I shouldn’t be crying, but…” Noctis whispered in a strangled voice. “It’s so hard… Luna and…”   
“Noct, you may be king now” I gulped, feeling like that term didn’t quite represent Noctis still. “Yet you’re a human being first and foremost, you are allowed to cry and grief, remember?”   
“That’s not what Gladio says” Still quite angry, he wiped away his tears with the back of his fist.   
“What Gladio means is that you are allowed as long as you pick yourself up and bravely carry on after that” He didn’t reply, but his stiff shoulders relaxed a tad. However, my friend remained sitting there, defeated and exhausted.  
I knew Noctis, and I didn’t want to impose. Hence, I didn’t urge him to speak his mind and tell me what was on his heart, for he would do so if he wanted to and only when he saw convenient. Also, I ventured that what he needed the most was some time alone. He wasn’t like Prompto, who was more likely to burst out and blurt all his thoughts and emotions as he cried and asked to be held. Noctis preferred to go through that alone, without anyone being there to witness such a personal and shameful moment.   
“I’ll give you some privacy” I finally told him, slowly breaking the physical contact.   
Noctis leaned on a seat to pull himself up as well and faced his back to me. Even if he dedicated me a brief look after that. He had stopped crying, and his expression was one of pure strength and determination. Noctis was willing to heed my words and pick himself up in order to carry on after his breakdown.  
Before I left and as I stood to my feet, I watched him in awe. The thought hit me that, the person before me wasn’t the Noctis I knew. He wasn’t a spoiled prince anymore, he was starting to become a mature and wise king. And I was so proud of him.

 

The train was operational once more, yet not for long. We were quick to investigate the malfunction once more, only to be faced with a nasty surprise. As we walked through the connecting car, the entire train violently shook, the glass windows cracking at our left. All of us fell to the floor because of the tremor and took our time to recover.  
“What now?” Gladio grouchily muttered, his voice being muffled because of the driver’s inaudible announcement through the speakers.   
I gasped when small yet frightening creatures jumped to land on the cracked glass.   
“What is it?” Ignis blindly reached out for me until his hand finally touched my arm.   
“Daemons” I replied angrily, heaving a resigned sigh.  
I held my hand up, trying to conjure my sword yet nothing happened. I glanced at Noctis and realized his hand hovered in the air in a similar manner.  
“The weapons…”   
“Get back!” Gladio pushed through us to aggressively kick the monsters that were starting to fill the car we were in.   
“Run!” Ignis yelled, realizing we were mostly defenseless. Without further ado, I linked my arm with his and took him with me as all of us prepared for our escape.   
“Only a matter of time before we run out of room to run” He objected as we relentlessly ran car after car.  
“Got a better idea?” Noctis complained behind us.   
“The Regalia!” I exclaimed, quickly remembering it was somewhere in the train as well.   
“C’mon!” Gladio encouraged us at the rear of the group, always the royal Shield.   
Ignis and I ran at full speed, leading the march as we made our way to the part of the train where the Regalia was kept. Once again, that car felt like a safe haven for us.  
Once the vehicle was at sight, I hurriedly led Ignis to the back seat, there where Noctis usually sat at. I myself occupied the copilot seat, the one that Prompto usually claimed. I couldn’t help but to be overwhelmed with mental images of him as we travelled in the Regalia. Watching Prompto take pictures from his spot, or turn around in the seat to talk to us, or lean over the side of the car to calmly watch the passing scenery.   
A second after, Noctis sat in the driver’s seat next to me and Gladio accompanied Iggy in the back. Our royal friend was quick to start the engine and stomp on the gas pedal to quickly escape.   
“Floor it!”  
“That’s the plan”   
As Noct drove extremely fast, I wished there were seatbelts in the bloody car, yet there were none. Instead, I firmly held on to the seat as I watched him navigate through the path ahead.   
We were currently inside a tunnel, which felt quite claustrophobic as it was also dark and filled with obstacles that Noctis had to be extremely attentive to in order to avoid. Soon enough, fortunately, we were out in the open again.  
It wasn’t fortunate for too long, I realized, because explosions started to erupt around us. They were trying to get us off the road, and it was also damaging the car. Bracing for the inevitable, I stretched out my arms and pressed my hands against anything that could provide me with support and shut my eyes tight. Indeed, the car came to a sudden halt. I couldn’t tell whether we had crashed, the Regalia couldn’t take the strain anymore or Noct have abruptly stomped on the breaks. Whatever the case, I finally exhaled deeply as I dared to open my eyes.   
The glass of the windows was cracked and filled with water drops, which made me aware of the fact that it had started pouring with rain outside. The front of the car was smoking and it was probably wrecked as well.   
Resigned and saddened with the state the car was in, all of us exited the vehicle. I watched it, taking notice of the terrible damage that had been done to it.   
The car that had taken us so far in our journey, that had accompanied us and made us feel safe. That sheltered us from the cold, the rain and the monsters. The car where Gladio gladly allowed me to sleep over him when I was exhausted. Where Prompto had used me as a pillow, causing butterflies in my stomach out of pure bliss. Where Noctis and I had our first friendly interactions. The car that Ignis used to drive. I never thought I could grow attached of a car, yet I did. I was nostalgic upon remembering all those memories, all those moments we shared in it. To add to it, Noctis then uttered some gut-wrenching words that provoked a lump in my throat.   
“Dad, thanks for everything…” There was a great sadness reflected in his pale blue eyes as he stared at the destroyed vehicle. I realized then that the Regalia had been King Regis’ car. Noctis definitely had many more memories joined to it than we did. All the more heartbreaking.   
Sharing a flew glances, we exchanged our restlessness concerning our situation. We were to enter the capital empty handed, defenseless as we still had no weapons, and by foot. It wasn’t too comforting.   
Noctis closed his hands into fists and showed a stoic expression as he started leading the way, heading towards the entrance of the building where we would hopefully find the Crystal that was stolen from Insomnia when the Empire attacked it, as well as rescue our beloved Prompto.   
Gladio and Ignis stood back slightly as the latter needed to be more careful due to his blind state. Gladiolus was sure to guide and help him as well.  
I followed Noctis closely, eager to immerse ourselves in there. Not because I wanted to get inside, but merely because then we could finally reclaim what belonged to Noctis as well as get our friend back.   
“We’re almost there” I told myself, solely to ease my anxiety. The closer I stepped to that place, the more my mind reminded me that Prompto was in there. That we had no idea of what could have happened to him, especially if Ardyn was involved.   
Noctis stepped under an upside down train that had allegedly flipped onto that position. I felt squeamish as I followed after him, experiencing the unpleasant feeling of peril that a precariously settled object like such exerted over me as I passed under it.   
I should have guessed that it would budge, because as soon as I had positioned myself below, the train began to budge.  
“Alex!” Noctis shouted in horror when he noticed.   
Letting out a scream of terror, I threw myself forwards to save myself from the falling train that would no doubt squash me to death. Noctis gasped and reached out to catch me as I fell forward in order to break my fall. Time seemed to slow down as I fell.   
The deafening sound of the train collapsing behind me, the screaming coming from Ignis and Gladio, the loud gasp from Noctis, the grunt as I collided with him.   
I breathed heavily as my friend’s arms supported me and I fell over his torso, keeping me from landing on the floor, and he urgently pulled me up to my feet.  
“You okay?!” He exclaimed, digging his eyes in my face in concern.   
“Yes…” I managed between ragged breaths, completely dazed by what could have happened if I hadn’t been fast enough. I shakily supported my hands on his shoulders to stand on my own as he absently let go of me. That was a close call.   
“Hey, Ignis!” He shouted then, turning around to see the falling train had separated us from them. “Gladio!”   
Upon receiving no answer, he faced me again. He frowned and so did I, yet we communicated without any words. My glance seemed to convey all the restlessness I felt and his showed a great determination. I nodded to him to express that I would stand by him, and he understood.   
Noct nodded himself, vehemently, before leading the way once more. This time I stood next to him, refusing to stay away from him in such perilous situation.   
Hence, we headed for the place where the Crystal and Prompto allegedly were. That place where we would retrieve the light that would end the darkness of the world and keep the daemons at bay and the sunshine that would dismiss our own darkness. 

 

It wasn’t easy going through daemons without the help of our weapons, but we made it inside. Once sheltered from the danger as well as the rain, Noct and I sat on the ground to catch our breaths.   
“This place will be also infested with daemons” I warned him between ragged breaths.   
“I know”   
“We have no possible way of defending ourselves without our weapons”   
“I know!”   
However, an idea arrived to my mind that very well could save our lives. My hand fell over my pocket, there where a small round object sat.   
“Noct, the ring!” I quickly pulled it out of my pocket and offered it to him. “Without our weapons, it’s our only chance!”   
“No!” He refused, turning his face away from me, repulsed by the mere sight of it.  
I supposed that ring was a reminder of Luna’s passing. It was that which she gave her life for, trying to deliver it to its rightful owner. It also must have frightened him the amount of responsibility and power it harbored. Not to mention the painful memory of his father.  
“You have to put it on!” I exclaimed, knowing it was of great importance.   
“I can’t do it!”  
“Noct, you can do it! I’m here with you! And I know you can!”  
The ring lied on my palm as I offered it to him. He eyed me in silence, moving his gaze from me to the ring and back to my eyes. He hesitated.  
The ring still seemed to be provoking great sorrow within me, filling me with that strange heavy void. However, as soon as Noctis took it from my hand, that eerie feeling completely vanished as though it was never there. It felt like the ring weighted more than just a ring.  
Noctis and I exchanged a restless glance before he proceeded to put it on. His face began to distort with pain and strife. I watched him struggle as he tried to put it on, seeming like it exerted a great force and resistance. My friend groaned and sharply inhaled and exhaled as he fought against the influence it had on him. With a firm and cold clamp clutching my stomach and my throat, I stared at him in horror, feeling unable to help, until it finally slid around his finger. Noctis then screamed out, almost like he was experiencing a great and excruciating pain.   
“Noct!” Worriedly, I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it anxiously. “Are you alright?”  
I impatiently awaited an answer as my entire face distorted with concern.  
Noctis slowly recovered from whatever had happened to his body when he put the ring on. His uneven breaths slowed down until they recovered a more natural and tranquil pace and he sighed, almost in relief. Still not quite registering my presence there, he looked at the ring as he opened and closed his hand.   
“N-Noct?” I nervously uttered, frightened by a new energy that emanated from him. One far more aggressive and imposing than before.   
Finally, he glanced at me, acknowledging my presence. His eyes were hard at first, until they saw me and softened, acquiring that usual calm and laidback glow of his.  
“I’m okay” He replied, nodding his head.   
“I’m proud of you, Highness” I confessed, realizing that he might need to hear those words as well.   
It made him smile a little, relieving the tension and importance of the situation we were currently stuck in. He nodded again and stood up, taking a confident and worthy stance.  
“The time has come” He told me, holding his arm up against his chest.  
The words gave me goosebumps, as it felt like we were on the final stage of our journey.  
As we started advancing, a daemon obstructed our way and Noctis protectively placed an arm before me. It passed my mind that he had stopped being the protected and was now the protector instead.   
“Stay behind me”   
“I might not have my weapons, Highness” I replied, attempting to lighten the mood still. “But I’m not completely useless”   
Noctis grinned at me over his shoulder, but I obliged and stayed behind him, resting my hands on his shoulder so he knew where I was standing at every moment.   
He extended his right hand –the one that worn the ring –towards the daemon and immediately, I could feel energy exerting from it. Reddish and blueish lights emanated from the ring until they reached the daemon, that exploded and its black fog slowly dissipated in the air.   
Taking my wrist in an obvious gesture that implied that he wanted to keep track of where I was at, Noctis kept on walking. And I did too.   
Looking up, we could evaluate the great proportions of the place. It was a long way, but we had to make it to the top. There where we would hopefully find the Crystal. And Prompto.

 

That place was eerie and unsettling, it seemed to be playing tricks on us. The complete silence and stillness anguished me as Noctis and I navigated through the dimly lit hallways and long lonely corridors.  
We slowly made our way up, managing the best we could as we had to find keycards in order to open doors and take elevators. I was very glad that Noctis was there with me, at least, and that I was with him. It would be far too frightening to experience that alone.   
The ring saved us from the daemons that we encountered on our way, although we still had to be extremely careful and drop a few punches and kicks here and there.   
We remained silent for the most part, except for a sporadic comment every now and then when we felt like the tension was too great and the silence was too loud and suffocating.   
Startled and frightened, I clung onto Noctis’ arm when a voice echoed around the hallways we were currently walking along.   
“How does it feel to be powerless?” It was the unpleasant voice of Ardyn Izunia. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to help your friends”   
“Don’t listen to him, Noct” I told my friend, still holding on to his arm.   
“Shut up” He said, looking up and directing his words to Ardyn.   
Noctis, however, gasped when he looked down and ahead again, and urgently took me with him. In a rush, he held on to me as he hid in a small open space in the wall which served as a hiding spot. My back rested against his chest as we both squeezed together in that very tight cramped space.   
“What’s-“ I began to ask, wondering what he saw to give him the urge to hide like that. Noctis quickly shoved a hand against my mouth to silence me, so I obliged and remained quiet. Even if he hadn’t uncovered my mouth. It was the right call, because I let out an involuntary muffled yelp against his gloved palm when a shadow passed us by. A dark shadow that displayed a reddish light.   
My heart sped up at the sight of such a horrible and scarring creature, which vaguely resembled an MT soldier, albeit mixed with a daemon. I could hear Noctis’ accelerated breathing behind me as well. We solely relaxed our stiff postures and alert stances once the MT passed by and was far gone. Then he dropped his hand and sighed softly.   
“I hate MTs” I mumbled, carefully exiting our hiding spot and watching we were safe.  
“There’s something off about those, though” Noct mumbled as he left that spot as well.   
We locked eyes, and I knew by the look in his that he was as distressed as I was.  
“Let’s keep going” He mumbled, to which I nodded in agreement.  
We were somewhere halfway to the top, and we had no other choice but to continue climbing to the highest point. Even through eerie daemons, MTs and Ardyn’s taunts.

 

I grew more restless by the second. Being exposed to that unnerving atmosphere for such extent period of time was messing with my head. Every slight source of light created frightening shadows along the walls that my brain always registered as either daemons or MTs. On an instinct, I always tried to summon my weapons as a result, just to be reminded of the cruel reality.   
I felt extremely lucky that Noctis was capable to wear the ring and use its powers to our advantage. Otherwise, the daemons would have killed us long ago.   
Noctis looked over his shoulder to check on me like he had been doing almost ever since we arrived. Once he saw I stood strong and followed closely behind him, he kept leading the way and being alert in case he had to take more daemons down or we encountered more strange MagiTek troopers.  
“Poor Prompto” A pompous voice told us, coming from nowhere. “I just hope you can get to him in time”   
I clenched my jaw at the image those words created on my mind, of my sunshine being broken and miserable. Being hurt and enduring insufferable pain and holding on to the hope that we would rescue him, trying not to give up on his life and fighting to stay alive after whatever horrible things Ardyn might have done to him.   
Feeling weak, I rested a hand on Noct’s shoulder as we continued walking and shut my eyes tight to try and shake that horrible picture away.   
I was fed up with Ardyn’s mocking words to upset us, to make us feel alone, frightened and miserable. To create those images in our heads about our friend.   
“Shut up!” The image wouldn’t leave me, that of a pale, bloody and sick Prompto lying lifeless on the ground as he tried to desperately hold on to his last drop of life.   
“Calm down, Alex” Noctis told me, surprisingly serene. “He’s lying, playing with you”   
I was alright with Ardyn’s stupid taunts when they didn’t involve Prompto. But ever since he realized what hurt me the most, he started to pull the right strings to get into my head.   
I figured he was lying as well, but what if he wasn’t? That concept obsessively took over all my thoughts and rid me of any objectivity or rationality. And he knew.   
“If you keep wasting time it will be too late…” Ardyn feigned sadness. “And to think the boy merely wanted to see you again”   
“Ardyn, you bloody…” I shouted at the ceiling. “Show yourself, you clown! Stop hiding in the shadows and face us!”   
“Alexandria” Noctis turned around to me, yet I ignored him as he tried to get ahold of me and I absently swatted him away. I had never ever felt such a burning hatred towards anyone. Such a lively fury that only evolved with the sound of his disgusting and arrogant voice and the implications of his words that made my stomach turn queasy.   
“Where’s Prompto, you son of a bitch?!”   
“Alex, Alex!”   
“Stop playing games!!”   
“Alex, Al!” Noctis took me by the arms and energetically shook me once.   
Entertained by the scene I was causing, we heard Ardyn’s evil cackle echoing around the empty hallways. I scowled in response, even though tears of frustration and helplessness burned in my eyes.   
“Look, I’m as worried for Prompto as you are” Noctis mumbled once he finally managed to gather my attention. “But don’t give into this, this is what he wants!”   
“That bastard…” I still looked up, fuming mad at Ardyn.  
“Look at me” Noctis shook me once more, until I locked eyes with him. “Listen, listen to me”   
I nodded to let him know that I was listening, even if the fury was burning under the surface still. My friend then proceeded while I tried to block out the noise of Ardyn’s background voice.   
“We’re gonna find Prompto, he’s gonna be okay and we’re gonna get him out of here, okay?”   
“But Noct, what if-?”   
“Okay?” He exclaimed, shaking me yet again. I finally seemed to control my temper, because I acquired a more serene outlook.  
“Okay” I agreed, sighing as I put my hands before me to express compliance. “Sorry”   
“It’s fine, just… chill” Finally feeling more convinced, he let go of me.   
“We should continue” I said to him, not without sending Ardyn one last death glare in the hopes that he could see how much I hated him.   
“Yeah, we should” He motioned for me to follow as he carried on advancing like we were before we were interrupted by my outburst caused by Ardyn. I forced myself to keep collected in order to carry on our mission. 

 

I wouldn’t be able to take it for much longer. No matter how much we advanced, it seemed to never end. Like we could never get to Prompto, no matter how long we looked him for. And I was exhausted. I just wanted to see him, look into his soft blue eyes and witness his bright smile, hear his upbeat voice and feel his warm touch around me. His absence was becoming too much of a burden once the fear that he might be at the verge of death settled in my conscious mind.   
Feeling resigned and defeated, I sighed and resolved to just keep walking. Hopefully it would all be over soon. I glanced at Noctis to analyze his demeanor, yet his expression was quite controlled and neutral albeit focused.   
My friend was looking all around him to make sure we weren’t taken by surprise by any daemons or MTs on our endeavor. And then, suddenly, I noticed something in front of him.   
A figure wearing dark clothes. A mop of disheveled blond hair.   
I blinked and it was gone, but it was present long enough to make my heart flutter.  
“Noct! Did you see that?” I pointed my finger ahead of us, filled with hope, causing him to turn.  
“See what?” His eyes scrutinized the area, just to find nothing.   
“Prompto, I… I saw him!”   
“You did? You sure?”   
“Well, I-I… I thought so… I… don’t know”   
“Maybe your mind is playing tricks on you” When he uttered the word ‘tricks’ I realized it was definitely a trick, just that it wasn’t my mind who was playing.  
“Or Ardyn” I angrily suggested, closing my hands into tight fists.   
A noise behind us startled us, so we were quick to turn around to see what it was.  
“Daemons!”   
“Run!”   
And so we did, not having the time nor the energies to face more monsters. 

 

Ardyn’s voice had become a nuisance, a buzzing noise that irritated us even if we tried to block it out. He could never make me lose hope, no matter how many doubts he achieved to plant in my brain.   
Tired yet relentless, we trudged along the never-ending dark and narrow corridors until we finally found ourselves with a lead. We had found Prompto, we merely needed to get to him and rescue him.   
I ran to the metallic door and closed my fingers around the bars that separated me from my boyfriend. I stared at him, worried to see that he was sitting motionlessly in that cold and metallic chair, with his head limply falling to the side.   
“Prompto!” I energetically shook the bars that separated us from him. “Wake up, we’re here!”   
“Dammit, it won’t budge!” Noctis did the same, trying to force them.   
“There must be a way inside”   
“Let’s take a look, maybe we can find a way around it”   
I nodded and followed after him, allowing him to lead still, just in case we encountered more monsters. 

 

It took us more time than it should have, and hopefully Prompto’s life wasn’t in peril. Yet we managed to sneak into the room Prompto was kept at. Eager to see him up close and touch and comfort him, I tried to approach him. Noctis, however, held me back.  
“Wait” He was cautious and wary, and I could sympathize with that feeling. “Stand back”   
I peeked over his shoulder as Noctis slowly crept up to him and slowly stretched a hand to place on his shoulder. When he touched Prompto, everything changed before our very eyes. There was no Prompto, just another stupid MT soldier, an empty shell this time.   
“No…” I uttered, shoving my hands against my face in the utmost desperation.  
“Another trick!” Noctis inhaled sharply, deeply annoyed. “Back to square one”   
He turned to me, almost seeking comfort, yet I had nothing to provide him with. We merely exchanged a restless glance, feeling ourselves breaking more and more.

 

Every step was more exhausting. Every breath was harder to take. Every corridor seemed like it could finally be the last one, yet it never was. I was losing my mind.   
“I’m losing hope” I uttered, not strong enough to say it out loud.   
“Well, don’t” Noctis heard me, however. “We’re gonna find him”   
“I hope Iggy and Gladio are alright…”   
“Me too, Alex”   
I rummaged through my mind and my soul, scouring myself for a shred of hope somewhere in there. Anything that sparked something within me, some emotions.   
And I found it.   
Anger.   
“If I see Ardyn I’m gonna punch him until I break that stupid conceited face of his” I crackled my knuckles, finding that strange satisfaction quite appealing at the moment. I was holding onto that emotion as the situation threatened to rid me from any, to turn me into an emotionless robot. I refused to become that, especially after I realized on that journey how strongly I felt things.   
Noctis managed a small chuckle in response to my comment.   
“Even if we get our powers back?”   
“Even then, I don’t need any weapons”   
To my surprise, Noctis stopped walking all of a sudden. I wondered why and examined my surroundings in search for any menaces. I found none.   
“Did you hear that?” My friend whispered, slightly crouching down in an alarmed posture.  
“No” I breathed out and got quiet, trying to hear what he did. I could hear a faint and distant beeping noise that I couldn’t quite pinpoint.  
“Alex, look out!” Noctis shoved me out of the way just as an imposing metallic door shut itself, there where I was standing just a moment ago. If it weren’t for him, it would have squashed me.   
“Noct, no!!” I tried to move fast enough to avoid it, yet the door heavily closed. Separating me from him.  
“Noct, can you hear me?” I shouted, repeatedly hitting my hand against the door, hoping his voice would come through from the other side. “Noctis?!”   
I awaited several seconds, just to receive no answer other than the echo of my loud voice reverberating against the high and spacious stances.  
“Dammit!” I furiously kicked the door, knowing Ardyn had something to do with it.  
Indeed, an evil cackle echoed all around me, as though he was mocking my strife. It gave me courage out of spite to try again.   
“Noctis!” I shouted, punching the door with the back of my hand until it hurt. “Noct!!!”   
Yet it was no use, no matter how hard or insistently I hit it. It was futile.  
I was alone, lost, concerned and very frightened.


	17. The Truth Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is still separated, but Alexandria pushes through on her own until she reunites with her friends and they carry on their mission to find Prompto. Once they rescue him, he reveals something about himself that shakes her to the core and she needs some time to let it sink in before she can behave normally around him.

I wandered around the maze-like building for what felt like hours. I was starting to get truly frightened that I was lost and I wouldn’t be able to find a way back. I walked alone, mumbling words of encouragement under my breath in an attempt to give myself the courage to continue, speaking the reassuring words I needed to hear despite the fact that I myself was the one uttering them.  
‘You’re alright, you’re almost there’  
‘Prompto is alive, you’ll find him soon’  
‘Your friends are all alright, you just need to find them’  
‘It will be over soon’  
Hallway after hallway, it felt like it could be the last. Like a daemon or an MT could lunge at me any moment and it would be the end for me. I had no weapons and no way of defending myself other than with my bare hands, which was no use against daemons or MTs.  
Every single noise made me paranoid, whether it was the flickering sound of a distant light or my own breathing if it came out too loudly. Not to mention the unidentified noises in the distance. Every single movement at the corner of my eye was a deathly threat. Even when it was nothing but my own shadow or simply a reflection. Monsters could be lurking at every corner, prepared to kill me at any second.  
Ardyn was not done playing with me, as I would often see apparitions of Prompto running ahead of me. The first few times I did not hesitate to chase after him, calling his name and begging him to stop and come with me. He was cruelly giving me hope merely to violently take it away from me seconds after. I did not fall for that trick anymore, knowing the figure of Prompto in the distance was Ardyn’s making.  
After that, it was his voice. Coming from within the walls, whispering and creeping. ‘Alex!! Help me, please!’ it would say. Imitating his voice to perfection. The same cadence, the same tone and high-pitch. The same urgency. The first time I ran off to his aid, promising I would rescue him and assuring everything was alright. And so I did the second time. And the third time. Not the fourth. That wasn’t Prompto’s voice. It was Ardyn’s illusions. AGAIN.  
Hopeless, I sat down and rested my back against a wall, bawling my eyes out as I pressed my hands against my ears. Ardyn was messing with my head again. I lost track of time as I sat there, broken and completely falling apart. Only three thoughts occupied my mind, shifting from one to the other without giving me a break.  
One. ‘I hope my friends are okay, I hope Noct and Iggy and Gladio are safe.’  
Two. ‘I hope Prompto is alive. I hope he knows we’re coming. I hope he holds on for just a little bit longer.’  
Three. And quite possibly the one that burned the strongest. ‘I hate Ardyn.’  
‘I. Hate. Ardyn. With a bloody burning passion.’  
One thought replaced the other, and then the last one just to come back full circle.  
I swayed back and forth as I tried to calm myself once I felt the starting phases of a panic attack haunting me. No, I refused to go through that again. I needed to breathe. Deep breaths. My hands were shaking, my back hit the wall with force, almost hurting me. I didn’t care.  
Desperately needing to let out all that pent up anger and frustration, I screamed out at the top of my lungs. My throat felt sore and raspy afterwards, yet I felt better.  
I breathed out unevenly, but focused on normalizing my breathing. At least my speeding heart was slowing its pace as well. Little by little, deep breaths.  
“Alexandria?” I looked up at the very distant and faint sound, almost to the point of being inaudible, of a vaguely familiar voice. My heart rate skipped a beat in the hopes that it wasn’t another trick.  
Was it them? Was it really them? Could that have been Ignis? The true Ignis?  
I held my breath, staying deadly quiet to hear as best as I could.  
“What was that, Iggy?” That sound like Gladiolus as well.  
I immediately quit my crying and slowly sat up straight. Those voices better not have been another one of Ardyn’s illusions.  
“Please let it be them” I whispered to no one, yet finally saying something felt liberating after the distressing and loud silence I was immersed to for too long. “Them for real”  
“I definitely heard something” Came a sober and accented voice that I was very familiar with.  
“Which way?”  
“Over here”  
I stood up in shock and waited anxiously until two figures appeared from the corner. A lean tall one and a big burly one.  
“Alex!” The latter one said with his deep voice as soon as he spotted me. “There you are, kid!”  
I ran to reunite with them and eyed them up and down, still under the effect of the shock.  
“Iggy, Gladio!” I touched them, making sure they were real, and chuckled a stupidly happy laugh when I confirmed they were. Then I hugged them both. “You’re actually here, you have not the faintest idea how glad I am to see you”  
“You okay?” Gladiolus placed a finger under my chin and held my head up to take a closer look at my face. “You look awful”  
“I’m fine” I blatantly lied, yet there was no time to waste. “Are you?”  
“Yeah, considering”  
“Where’s Noct?”  
“I-I don’t know” I paused to take a deep breath and settle the nerves once I was back with friends. “We got separated, I’m sure it wasn’t a coincidence”  
“The usual suspect” Ignis nodded, understanding the anger in my voice.  
“We gotta find Noct” Gladio stated, very determined on his endeavor. We, of course, couldn’t agree more as we followed. 

 

It felt like a miracle, but we found Noctis. We were back to being four, and we should be five again soon. I regained my hope seeing as we were finally making some progress. We must have been really close to finding Prom once and for all. Although, to balance my optimistic hope, I was also starting to feel the pessimistic anxiety stronger than ever. In fear of the state we might find Prompto in.  
We all walked in silence after navigating through even more numerous hallways. Until the moment arrived. The door opened to reveal a figure at the end of the hallway.  
There he was, and hopefully it was not yet another one of Ardyn’s illusions. No matter how painful it was to see him as he was chained to some sort of strange apparatus that restrained him by the wrists and ankles.  
Noctis gasped at the sight and hurried to get to him. I felt how my heart skipped a beat before it began to violently and frantically race.  
Prompto’s head was hung low, yet he weakly lifted it when he heard us approach him. He was alive. Prompto was alive and conscious, it was a start. His eyes squinted at the sudden light of our flashlights, yet there was a twinkle of hope in them.  
I ran along with Gladio and Noctis to get to him and free him from that horrible thing that kept him bound, yet I froze upon a closer look.  
I couldn’t move as I observed the scene before me in shock, too affected by the state Prompto was in to part take in his rescue. I was yet trying to wrap my head around the concept that he was real and not another trick.  
Luckily, Noctis managed to release him. He also held him to break his fall when the gravity violently pulled him down into the floor. I stood still, watching in horror. Poor Prompto was full of bruises, all over his arms, neck and face, staining his pale skin with reddish and purplish tones.  
“Hey, you alright?”  
“Are you hurt? Do you need help?”  
Gladio and Ignis were also concerned about him, and even though I wanted nothing more than to ask myself and desperately cling to him I found incapable of doing so… I froze.  
“I-I’m fine” Slowly and shakily, Prompto sat on the floor. “Thank you, Noct”  
I fell to my knees next to him and comfortingly rubbed his arm, barely aware of what I was doing. It felt like I wasn’t in control of myself, like I was seeing reality through someone else’s eyes.  
Prompto looked over to me and showed me a sad smile that surely meant to reassure me but didn’t quite had the desired effect. I didn’t blame him.  
Noctis and Prompto exchanged a few words, yet my brain couldn’t truly register them no matter how hard I tried. Even if I could absently recognize the fondness and restlessness in Noctis’ expression as Prompto’s face was turned to him.  
Just as the blond stood up, I automatically did too. My hands hovered in the air on their own when Prompto wobbled slightly, yet I was too afraid I would hurt him further to touch him.  
I was slowly getting over the initial shock and calming my weary mind and racing heart, although many emotions still stirred within me: relief, sadness, grief, happiness, concern, anxiety…  
“I’m sorry” Noctis was telling Prompto when I managed to focus enough to understand.  
“Don’t be” The latter briefly glanced at us before settling back on his best friend and softly smiling at him. “Everything’s alright now”  
That broke me, woke me up from my stupor. I startled them all when I shifted from my dazed stillness to a fidgety and frantic movement as I threw my arms around him and held him tightly from the side with a deranged squeak.  
“Oh, Gods…” I gulped, taking notice of my ragged and irregular breaths. “P-Prompto, baby… What-what has he done to you?!”  
I was still trying to get ahold of myself, but I… I just couldn’t.  
I was still left astonished by the effect Prompto had on me. By how much his absence had affected me and how distraught I was by seeing him in that state. My love for him was far more powerful than I first thought. I needed him so much, I had been so terrified thinking about the possibilities of what might have happened to him. Yet now that he was standing there with me, alive and safe, I was not rendered in a state of relaxation as I first thought. Quite on the contrary, I felt myself shaking from head to toe as I desperately clung onto him. He was there, he was actually there, he was real. He was my sunshine. My home. And he was back.  
“Hey, Xanders” He uttered in surprise, clumsily placing his hands on my back in a daze. “I-I’m okay”  
I sobbed on his shoulder, tightly holding on to him because it felt like my trembling legs would give in under my own weight any moment. I internally screamed at myself to regain composure, yet I was aware of the fact that I needed a moment.  
“I was so scared…” I mumbled against his shoulder, feeling light-headed. “So scared…”  
Lovingly, Prompto’s arms squeezed me against him and his nose rested against my hair. He deeply breathed in, almost trying to replace those awful memories from the hell he had just been through with the feeling of being surrounded by his friends, from the warmth that my body radiated next to his. Very slowly and gently, his hands fell on my upper arm and distanced me from him. When we locked eyes, their softness brought me comfort. As did somehow the sad smile he dedicated me.  
“It’s okay now”  
“We…” Noctis awkwardly cleared his throat, reminding me that he was there as I had almost forgotten for an instant. “Should get going”  
“Absolutely” I smiled happily once reunited with Prompto and took his hand with determination. “Lets”  
Noct nodded and leaded the way, with Ignis and Gladio following closely. Prompto and I went after them in the rear. His fingers tightened their grip on mine, telling me that he was as willing to let go as I was. And I was absolutely not going to let go of his hand at all any time soon.

 

Upon arriving to a big circular room that hopefully would return Noctis’ powers as well as our own, we found that it was of course locked. We wandered around it, wondering where we could find the key that would let us in.  
“Is there no way through?” Ignis complained, mildly restless.  
“There’s a way” Prompto spoke up, although in a very low voice. Reluctantly and painfully slow, he let go of my hand. The four of us observed him puzzled as he positioned himself before the panel.  
Prompto slowly raised his right arm until his wrist was close to the panel, which suddenly turned green with a low beeping noise. I watched him, completely speechless.  
The wide doors opened, giving us free passageway inside the room.  
“So… MTs… They’ve got those codeprints” Prompto said, his eyes glued to the panel in front of him as he hadn’t moved an inch. “Just like I do”  
Again, Noctis was the one to intervene first.  
“Do they? Never looked”  
“Yeah” I noticed how Prompto’s right hand closed into a fist. “So as it turns out… I’m one of them”  
His voice was shaky and low, almost fearful. I could read the terror in his eyes as he looked up to meet with Noct’s eyes. He was deliberately avoiding any of our glances except for his.  
The information took a few more seconds to sink in completely, yet when it did it hit me like a pound of bricks. A nasty feeling in my gut arrived as the fear that Prompto might not be who I thought he was settled in my heart.  
“Not exactly something I could tell people growing up in Lucis” His voice broke a little, and I could have sworn his blue eyes became watery. “Still… you guys are like… the only friends I’ve ever known. I just hope that things can stay the way they were”  
I was torn between how much it pained me to see him standing there, looking so utterly heartbroken, and how tormented I was by such a discovery. I… was bewildered.  
“Whatever” Noctis casually shrugged it off. “Who cares where you were born?”  
“I don’t see you turning against us” Ignis comforted him too. “Not now, not ever”  
I told myself I was being stupid. Of course they were right! What had a stupid codeprint on his wrist have to do with Prompto’s identity? He had shown us who he truly was during our journey together. Caring for us, making us laugh, blessing us with his constant smile… He was our friend. The bubbly, lovable, fidgety, caring and adorable gunman with a heart of gold, beautiful soul and a pure mind. He was the pretty boy with the bright smile and vibrant blue eyes. He was our Prompto, no matter what.  
I opened my mouth to say something, yet the words didn’t leave my lips.  
“Thanks, guys” Prompto let out, still with a cracking voice. “Still, I can’t change where I came from, what I am”  
“Since when does where you come from matter to you?”  
“Hm?” Completely flabbergasted, it was all Prompto managed to let out, raising his eyebrows.  
“You never once treated me as a prince” Noctis smiled as he softly punched him in the shoulder, in a friendly gesture.  
Ignis laughed a bit, endeared by his response.  
“He’s got you there” Gladio added as well, coolly leaning against the wall.  
“Never so much as a Highness”  
“We’re done here” Noct playfully told Prom. “C’mon, Crown citizen”  
Seeing as Noctis was entering the room, Gladio went over to help Ignis. Prompto merely stood in the spot, completely in awe.  
“You’re one of us, right?” Gladio effusively patted his arm, making him wobble slightly as poor Prompto was still in shock.  
“Unless you rather not be” Ignis added, stopping a brief moment to look in his direction.  
“You’re still our Prompto” I managed to choke out through the nerves, forcing a natural smile at him as I nonchalantly walked into the room.

 

Once the five of us were together inside the circular room –apparently it was the throne room -, Noctis stabbed the sword on the wide control panel filled with lights, buttons and wires. That seemed to restore his power, as we all could conjure our weapons once again. It was a great relief, yet something else was on my mind.  
‘You’re still our Prompto’. While those were meant to be words of encouragement and comfort, they felt quite… empty.  
I always shared a close connection with Prompto, and now that we were a couple, our relationship was even more intimate. How was it then that I couldn’t get close to him?  
My mind was shouting, saying that I wanted to take his hand again. Yet my body wouldn’t obey. It was a lot to take in, knowing the truth about Prompto.  
As we made our way to the Crystal now that Prompto was safe, I remained quiet. Many thoughts piled up in my mind, keeping me busy and absent.  
I could notice, however, Prompto’s sneaky glances. Every now and then he would look over his shoulder to me, his brow furrowed in apprehension. And every time I would be too afraid to hold his glance or smile at him in return.  
I knew was hurting him with such demeanor, yet I was struggling so fiercely to dismiss any thoughts that Prompto wasn’t something different from what I knew he was. It was my main concern, and surely Ardyn’s manipulation played a great part in my perturbed state. I was too easily influenced by his lies. Yet that was all they were. Lies. The true Prompto was the one that I knew. He was too genuine not to be, too authentic.  
As I was about to exit the room we had walked through just like we had when navigating that place, someone held me by the arm and kept me back.  
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I had been too absent to notice Noctis was suddenly next to me.  
“What?”  
“You haven’t said a word, you need to tell him something” I immediately knew he was talking about Prompto. “You’re his girlfriend, dammit!”  
I hated to admit it, but Noct was right. Prompto was probably questioning many things, and he felt especially insecure. He needed our words of comfort more than ever. Especially mine, I understood. I was positive that he noticed my reluctance and my cold demeanor no matter how hard I tried to conceal it.  
“You’re right” I uttered, glancing at the blond. “I need to talk to him, don’t I?”  
“Yeah” Noctis replied, as though it was obvious. “He’s still ‘our Prompto’, as you said, who the hell cares about all that crap?”  
I smiled a little, realizing how true that was. How right Noct was. I had been silent, getting used to the idea, but… Indeed, Prompto had a barcode on his wrist, so? Nothing had changed, especially not him. And I thanked the Gods for that. Because Prompto was perfect, even with his flaws, as they were part of what made him so special and unique. He was still my Prompto, my sunshine. And I wanted to let him know, openly as I always did.  
Noctis knew his best friend wouldn’t be quite content with such scarce words I had dedicated him before, and I found that neither was I.  
“Prompto” I called him, feeling my voice hoarse because I had been quiet for so long.  
Noct nodded to himself before walking away to give us some privacy.  
“Yeah?” My boyfriend immediately turned around, apparently calm, even if he couldn’t conceal his surprise and anxiety. He had been waiting for that moment, yet was also dreading it.  
“I’m sorry” I could read the fright in his eyes, so I hurried to finish talking before he could overthink what I meant by that. “I know I was distant, and I feel awful for making you feel like that, but I needed time”  
“Did you, uh… Get enough time?” His voice was so soft, so low, it was unlike him.  
“Yes”  
“And?”  
I walked closer to him to save any distance between us and very slowly put my arms around his form, locking them around his waist. I could feel his body tense against mine, even if our fronts were barely grazing. I knew he was doing a great mental effort not to flinch.  
“Everything’s okay” I averted my eyes when I felt terribly ashamed of my previous behavior. “And I’m sorry to have put you through this, but I really needed the time to think, to… wrap my mind around it”  
“Wh-“ He uttered, not really being able to articulate any further sounds.  
I forced myself to look at him, even if I was still reluctant to meet with his beautiful eyes laced with hurt and sadness. I wished I had been fastest to react like my friends had. I supposed I was more sensitive and it had affected me more than I wanted to let on.  
“I’ve… missed you, and I was worried about you and none of this changes those facts”  
“But… I thought you would hate me…”  
“Why?”  
“Because… you said that you hated the Empire and anything that had to do with it”  
That felt like a lifetime ago. Yet the memory was still fresh in my mind. Standing under the rain, heartbroken as we witnessed the ruins of our home. Finding out Insomnia had fallen and the king had died. Many things had happened since that day, much had changed. I had changed. And even if those words might have left a mark on Prompto’s head, I didn’t feel like that anymore.  
Aranea was from the empire, yet she had showed where her alliances lied and proved to be a useful and important ally. In a similar way, even if Prompto technically was originally from there, even if he technically was an MT… It didn’t matter to me.  
“You don’t have anything to do with the Empire, Prom” I softly smiled at him, tenderly and lovingly as well, gingerly caressing his cheek.  
“But…”  
“You don’t”  
“So… you don’t hate me?”  
I let out a frustrated and exasperated breath before I threw myself to him. He was always so insecure, so hesitant and self-conscious. Even though he was warm and bright like the sun, even when he was starting to become my entire world along with my friends.  
I smacked my lips on his in a passionate kiss. But that wasn’t only a kiss. It was a sign that we craved such interaction, that we needed it to keep ourselves going. That we had been needing it ever since we were separated. That it was something obligatory in order to make things alright again.  
I clung onto him and he clung onto me, taking our time the fill the void that had been eating us inside all that time we were apart. Filling the cold emptiness with warmth.  
His hand –even though it was shaky –rested on the small of my back and gently attracted me closer to him until I was stuck to his torso. My arms settled on his shoulders instead and my hands comfortably rested on the back of his head, sweetly caressing his hair. His free hand cupped my cheek just as his thumb stroke my skin gingerly, sending shivers down my spine. Pleasant shivers that felt incredibly good compared to all the sorrow I had been exposed to ever since he was gone.  
When we broke apart he sighed, and it took him a few more seconds to open his eyes. It suddenly looked like he had been ridden from a heavy weight that had left him breathless.  
“Does that answer your question?” I smiled at him, brushing my thumb against his cheek while I did.  
“So you don’t think differently of me?” Prompto frowned in seriousness. He was still insecure and needed to hear me say it. I knew he did. “You still… want me around?”  
“I still want you, I still care about you and I still adore you” I spoke slowly to emphasize the importance of my words, to emphasize that they came from the heart. “But I do see you differently, because now I see all you must have been through”  
“W-what do you…?” He gulped and had to start over. “What do you mean?”  
“You had to keep that secret and pretend for so long, it must have been exhausting… Hiding it every day of your live, out of fear”  
My boyfriend averted his eyes, which suddenly weren’t so bright anymore. I lifted his bracelet up his wrist, even if he tensed up under my touch because of it.  
“You don’t need to hide it anymore” I said, gently tracing my fingers over his barcode.  
He pursed his lips together in the smallest of smiles as his eyes shone with unshed tears. However, I knew those were tears of happiness. Of relief, of gratitude.  
I just couldn’t believe someone like him felt so insecure and worthless, and a sudden wave of affection washed over me as I watched him standing there. He looked so vulnerable that I threw myself to him again. I locked my arms behind his back, hugging his lean torso and holding him as close to me as I possibly could. I leaned my head closer to his chest for comfort. Prompto buried his face in my hair and I shoved mine into his chest. I could hear his slightly rapid heartbeat. The embrace was clingy, needy, tight and affectionate. We squeezed the other tenderly in an attempt to get as close as we could, to absorb as much of the other as possible.  
“Hey, lovebirds!” Gladio’s voice startled us, making us break the embrace absently-minded. “Hate to interrupt, but we should really get going”  
“Of course” I said, distancing myself from Prompto slightly. “We’re on our way”  
Our friend nodded and decided to give us space for a few more seconds, walking ahead of us. I was about to go after him when I realized Prompto wasn’t following me. When I turned to him I saw him smiling to himself, his watery eyes absently staring at the floor and his cheeks covered in a subtle blush that brought out his adorable freckles.  
He was moved by my words. By then I could almost get inside his head and read his thoughts, and I knew he felt lucky. But honestly, I was the lucky one to have such a beautiful person as my boyfriend, barcode and all.  
I opened my mouth, about to call him, when he lifted his head up and locked eyes with me. His blush only deepened when he realized I was watching him.  
“Alex”  
“Hm?”  
“Thank you”  
“I did nothing to be thanked for”  
Before he could get too emotional about it, I held his hand and gently tugged at it so he would start walking. He obliged. Prompto chuckled happily and left a tender peck on my cheek. 

 

We dragged ourselves to the rooms that Noct fortunately found in that place. With the news that such rooms with beds and a feeling of shelter existed, Iggy insisted that we should stay and rest.  
The three of them assured that Prom and I should go ahead and get comfortable, as he was exhausted, while they would scour the area in order to make sure we were safe in there. I was positive that it was merely an excuse to give Prompto and me some time alone, which I appreciated. Honestly, I wanted to be alone with him, to hug him tight and comfort him to make up for everything he had just gone through. Yet that implied being extremely honest, affectionate and intimate with him in a way that I wouldn’t feel completely comfortable with our friends close by to witness it all.  
Hence, Prom and I walked into the room and feebly took a look at the bunk beds. I smiled to myself thinking that he would definitely call dibs on the top one under other circumstances, just like he called shotgun on the Regalia.  
Without a previous warning, he had engulfed me in a tight hug that I had no way of escaping. Not that I wanted to escape his lean but muscular arms anyhow. His familiar warmth next to me was comforting, and I gladly leaned into the touch by draping my arms around his neck and bringing him closer. As he bowed his head down onto my shoulder, my boyfriend let out a shaky breath. Then I felt his eyelashes tickling my skin as he closed his eyes and nuzzled my neck. While his arms urgently and desperately squeezed my body against his, I noticed his hands were shaking a little as they nervously moved up and down my back. Due to the sudden and passionate nature of the embrace, I knew he needed it. He had been needing it ever since he fell off the train. A long tight genuine hug.  
“It’s okay now, Prom” I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear me.  
For the first time I truly put myself in his shoes. He had gone through a torturous odyssey.  
First, his best friend had pushed him off a moving train. Even though Noct had thought he was Ardyn due to one of his filthy tricks, yet that didn’t lessen the hurtful impact on Prompto’s feelings. Later, he had been bound in a strange device that rendered him helpless and hopeless until we rescued him. After what occurred in the train, the poor boy probably started doubting if we would even come to his aid. Last but not least, once he found us and gathered up the courage to finally reveal his greatest secret, he must have been terrified. Especially when his girlfriend had distanced herself from him and behaved in a cold manner due to her own foolish and irrelevant thoughts.  
And I had no idea what happened in the time between his fall and his rescue or for how long he had been hanging there from that machine that kept him captive without a way of freeing himself. Judging by his many bruises and cuts, however, I could tell it was harrowing and distressing.  
“I’m sorry for everything” I whispered to him, managing the gentlest voice I could. “It’s over now, you’re safe. I promise, Prom”  
A sniffling sound coming from him made my heart shrink in horror. Oh no… No, no, no…  
A sob followed, frightening me deeply. Prompto squeezed me even tighter against him, needing the solace of the extreme closeness and warmth, of my intimate touch and affection. Of my comforting presence. I almost couldn’t breathe because he was holding me so tight against him, yet I didn’t have the heart to complain. Prompto let out a shaky breath against me, clinging onto me for dear life.  
I wondered what was going through his head so I could utter the right words to comfort him and stop his pain. Even though I knew him well enough to get quite close to what his exact thoughts actually were.  
He was breaking down. Surely, what happened to him was harrowing and he had every reason to start crying. Yet he only allowed himself to break down once we were alone.  
It was bad enough to witness Noctis crying back in the train. But at least he somewhat shrugged it off and picked himself up quickly. Prompto didn’t. Prompto was profoundly distraught. He was just bawling his eyes out. And it broke my heart. What light is there supposed to be left when the sunshine is clouded by darkness?  
I frowned and refrained from the urge of starting crying myself at the heartbreaking sight of him doing so, resolving to hold him tight and allow him to vent for as long as he needed.  
“Let it out, Prom” I told him to let him know it was okay for him to cry. “Take your time”  
I kindly patted his back, although I felt clumsy and didn’t truly know how to comfort him. All I could think of was holding him, which I was already doing. One of my hands flew to his hair, which I caressed lovingly.  
“It’s okay now, you’re here with us” I whispered tenderly, kissing his head as well.  
I could feel Prompto’s hand shakily yet desperately clinging to my clothes as he wept against my shoulder. His were still convulsing with sobs, yet he seemed to finally serene himself after one minute or so.  
“I-I’m s-sorry, Alex”  
“Hey” I held his face with tender hands. “Don’t apologize, it’s quite alright”  
Feebly wiping his tears, he nodded in silence. His blue eyes were shiny and puffy from crying.  
Still not letting go of his face, I planted a small kiss on his nose and grinned at him. He smiled through the tears and even let out a light chuckle.  
“Come here, sunshine” I dedicated him the most loving and adoring sweet smile I could put together and delicately took his hand.  
Brows knitted together and sadness still present in his eyes, he wiped his nose with the back of his free hand and nodded in silence. Clinging on to his hand and never letting go of it, I lied down in the lower bunk bend and scooted to the side to make room for him. Then I tugged at his hand to silently ask him to join me.  
Without giving it a second thought, Prompto slowly obliged. In the slow and feeble manner that an exhausted person –physically, mentally and emotionally –would.  
I didn’t need to tell him to snuggle closer and get comfortable before he moved in such a way that he was half lying on top of me, with his head on my chest. I immediately rested my hands on his head, nearly in an automatic gesture, and soothingly ran my fingers through his hair.  
“Do you want to talk about it, Prom?” I needed to provide him with as much comfort as I could.  
For that goal, I mentally evoked all the terms of endearment I called him as well as tried to exert as much love and sweetness towards him as I could possibly manage, caressing him and holding him tightly and amorously, to remind him how much I adored him.  
“N-Not really…”  
“That’s perfectly alright” I lightly bowed my head into his. “Just know that I will be here if you change your mind, I will always be”  
“T-Thanks, Alex” For a moment, he remained completely still, rejoicing in the position we were in. But then he blindly reached out for one of my hands and determinedly clasped his fingers around mine, letting our intertwined hands rest over my stomach and sighing in content with the result.  
“Prom?” I wondered if he could hear my heart speeding up as his ear rested close to it.  
“Yeah?” I paused, getting truly frightened. I honestly wanted to say the words, to let him know even though he already did. To convey my affection and get that weight off my chest, I needed to let it out. Yet I was so scared of the situation those simple three words might trigger. What his reaction would be, if it was the right time and place to say them.  
“I… I love you” I piped up in the end, the need of saying them being too strong.  
He paused in what I hoped was a dumbfounded silence. I mentally prayed that I hadn’t made it awkward, that he wouldn’t linger on the stillness and say nothing back. That I didn’t make him feel forced to reciprocate the words even if he wasn’t at that point quite yet himself.  
To my relief, he chuckled and pushed me tighter against him.  
“I love you too, Alex”  
I chuckled in relief and planted a kiss on his head as lovingly as I could. That sweet boy, I adored him so much.  
“Hey, A-Alex?” Prom perked up after a brief moment of silence.  
“Yes?”  
“When I was handcuffed to that thing I had a lot of time to think…” He sighed, fidgeting around as he stirred and got more comfortable. “And… I realized all the things that I wanted you to know but that I never said”  
“Prom, you don’t have to say anything, honey…”  
“But I want to! I… I need you to know how I feel”  
“Go ahead then” I nodded, tenderly stroking his hair. “I’m listening closely”  
“I-I know I’m always goofing around and everything, but… I feel really lucky to have you guys, especially you, Alex! Because you do so much for me, and you… love me when I feel insecure and accept me when I think no one will… You make me feel like I belong with you guys” He let out one of his characteristic awkward yet adorable chuckles. “With you all I feel so safe. Especially with you, ever since we started dating I have never felt so happy and so loved and cared for and protected and… I just wanted you to know that, and to… thank you”  
His words made me extremely emotional, they moved me deeply and gave me the urge to fondly squeeze him against me. An urge that I gladly gave in to.  
“I feel the same way about you” I reluctantly admitted, being glad that we had been given a private moment. “I have never felt the way I do now with you, yet it is so… pleasant and comforting. I never thought one single person could make me so happy”  
Prompto chuckled again, this time in content and shyness, and nuzzled his face in my neck.  
“Prom, you shouldn’t feel so insecure, you deserve the world” I whispered slowly, so my words would sink in. “You are good enough, and you are unique. And more importantly, you belong here with me. With us”  
“Do you really mean that?” There was a hint of sentimentalism in his soft voice as well.  
“Of course I mean that! We wouldn’t keep you around otherwise, we appreciate you” Gingerly, I slapped him in the arm as a mild scolding. “You should know this by now, Prom”  
“Noct said the same thing…” Thoughtful, Prompto paused. “Well, kinda…”  
“I would be slightly jealous if he said the exact same things I just confessed, to be quite honest”  
The unexpected comment triggered a guffaw to escape from his pink lips. It made me smile, assured everything was alright again.


	18. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once finally reunited, the five march on to retrieve the Crystal from Ardyn. However, a nasty surprise gets in the way, and Noctis can't be found anywhere.

The boys teased Prompto and me for being left alone for so long, wondering what the both of us were up to. Although I was positive that they had quite an accurate idea of what we did during that time. Yet after the blessing that was the short moment of respite, we focused back on reality and centered our efforts in retrieving the Crystal once Prompto was safe with us.  
Marching onwards to the Crystal, we advanced through the maze-like hallways. Alas, the feeling of doom we previously experienced had nearly vanished once we were all together and safe.   
Making our way to the central elevator that would hopefully take us to our destination, we overcame many monsters and daemons. Albeit it was certainly easier once we wielded our weapons and could fend for ourselves once more. Even if it had helped Noctis to put the ring on.   
As we reached an open and spacious chamber, Ardyn’s voice spoke to us, taunting us smugly yet again. We ignored him completely.   
Just when we thought his words were as empty as usual, a horrifying creature walked into the room. A specimen that could not be described as human, yet somewhat resembled one as it was fading away to completely transition into a daemon.  
“R-Ravus?” I uttered when I recognized the remains of his silver hair and white clothes.   
Yet that creature in front of me was no longer Lord Nox Fleuret, there was barely any humanity in… that. What stood before us instead was the stuff of nightmares, as its black gooey body pulsated like a heart. When he asked us to end him once and for all, his guttural voice provoked an unpleasant chill in my spine.   
“Is that Ravus?” Gladio asked himself, surely as I had spoken too low for them to hear.  
“Or… what’s left of him” Prompto uttered in shock.   
We were fast to defend ourselves as the daemon version of Ravus Nox Fleuret pounced at us like an animal, swinging his sword down against us.   
“Alex, watch out!” The blond warned me as he summoned both his guns.   
I stepped aside not to get in his way and he quickly shot his weapons. The rest of them were also immersed in combat, so I conjured my own sword and joined them.   
Around me, Prompto shot his guns and nimbly dodged Ravus’ attacks with simple yet agile rolls. Noctis warped all around, creating a blueish light that followed him. Gladio’s strength stood out from any of our attacks as his sword did a great damage to Ravus. Ignis was very cautious as he threw fire attacks to him and swung his daggers as well.   
“Noct” The latter called him, solemn and serene. “You need to go on ahead!”   
“What about you guys?” Our friend complained, not too fond of the idea.   
“We’ll be alright!” I sided with Ignis, no matter how much I hated to get separated again. “Go!”  
“C’mon, Noct!” Prompto urged him, even though with an encouraging tone.  
“Now!” Gladio rushed him more as he struggled during the fight.   
Noctis took a deep breath and eyed us warily before he reluctantly complied and left us to fight on our own. A bad feeling immediately occupied my gut as soon as I lost sight of him.  
It was an unpleasant battle, especially knowing Ravus had been an ally for us in Altissia. But then again, that creature before us wasn’t Ravus Nox Fleuret anymore. We had to end it in order to keep going and reach the Crystal. 

 

When we got to the Crystal room, we found no trace of Noct. My bad feeling was confirming, especially when we realized Ardyn was in the room where our friend was supposed to be as well. The chancellor stood there, facing his back to us as he watched the Crystal. I glanced at my friends in silence, yet solely Prompto was looking back at me. We exchanged a concerned and disturbed look that clearly spoke for itself, confirming we agreed on something. That Ardyn was there and Noct had disappeared couldn’t be good, neither a coincidence.   
“What did you do to Noct, you son of a bitch?” The most pure hatred was building up inside me, poisoning my veins and changing me into someone entirely different, someone that wasn’t me.   
I had never truly hated someone until I met Ardyn Izunia. I loathed him, I despised him with every fiber of my being. The imperial chancellor that lived to watch us suffer, that rejoiced in making Noctis miserable and getting inside our heads.   
Ardyn turned around and dedicated us a smirk that only fueled our anger.  
“I’m afraid His Highness is busy right now” The man replied in that odious overbearing tone as he motioned over to the Crystal behind him.   
Gladio swung his sword at him, yet somehow missed. That was odd, the Shield never missed. A strange and suspicious blackish mist originated from Ardyn’s body.   
I myself threw my body to Ardyn and, with a cry of fury, cut him across the stomach while he tried to walk past us. I would not let him get away so easily. Ardyn didn’t flinch in the slightest, not even batting an eye to our attacks. I couldn’t understand… I was positive, I had hit him! I felt the sword making contact with his body!   
Prompto, on turn, didn’t hesitate to shoot him. The bullet landed on Ardyn’s back and made him collapse onto the ground. I observed my boyfriend in shock. I would have never believed he would attack him so mercilessly and so instinctively. It was hinting at a much darker side of him that I had never been exposed to. I understood, however, that Ardyn put Prompto through an unfathomable hell that caused him to hold even deeper grudges against him.   
Yet Ardyn, somehow, stood up after a dramatic pause that made me shudder. In a way that defied logic and all laws of nature, as he was supposed to be dead. How was it possible?!   
Calmly picking his stupid hat up, the man turned to us. His face resembled a daemon.  
Prompto gasped, and Gladio put an arm over me protectively. Ignis frowned, understanding that what just happened was unnatural.   
I watched Ardyn’s back in horror, rummaging through my head for any coherent explanation of what I had just witnessed. Yet I found none.   
The man just left, smug about having executed his plan. Whatever it was, Noctis was gone.   
“Noct…” Prom whispered, heartbroken, as he turned to face the Crystal once Ardyn had left.  
“Where is he?” Ignis demanded to know in a stern voice.   
“He’s not here” Gladio frantically searched around him, just to find nothing. No one. No Noctis.   
“The… The Crystal…” I uttered, venturing a wild hypothesis. After all, the Crystal had power over the kings of Lucis. Perhaps it was what Noctis needed to become stronger, to summon as much light as he could to overcome the darkness.   
“Could he be trapped inside it?” Ignis gasped in horror.   
“But…” Prompto gulped, his eyes still laced with sadness. “But that means he’s alive, right?”   
There was no answer. None of us dared to back his belief and confirm it no matter how badly we desired to. And none of us was brave enough to face the possibility that the answer to his question was no.   
“That means he’ll come back!” The blond insisted, optimistic as usual despite the look on his face. The look of utter defeat and grief. “Noct will come back to save us!! Right?”   
We couldn’t know that. For all we knew, Ardyn could have pulled one of his elaborated ruses to trap him forever. We knew nothing. Not if Noctis was inside the Crystal for sure. Not if he was alive. And certainly not if he would return.   
I couldn’t accept that. Perhaps we used to dislike each other, but on our journey we became friends! For me, he wasn’t a royal figure who I served anymore. Noct was my friend. And just like I couldn’t imagine a world without Prompto in it, like I couldn’t picture a world without Gladio in it, like I couldn’t see a world without Ignis in it… I just was not ready to accept the world without Noct in it. I refused.   
“Alex!” They called for me, but I had already started running. Without making the conscious effort to do so. Before I even knew where I was going.   
I ran without a purpose, without a destination. I just ran. In the hopes that I would escape from that nightmare. From that never ending woe.

 

I only stopped when I was received by complete darkness outside. It was upon us, especially with the Chosen King of Light gone. The world was doomed to an eternity of darkness and daemons.   
I couldn’t breathe. This time it actually felt like I was truly suffocating, like my lungs weren’t working and I would die. My hands flew to my head, horrified with the world we were in. What were we gonna do?! Noct was our only hope! The darkness was to take over the world, no one was safe anymore!!  
The familiar feeling of the tears burning behind my eyeballs engulfed me. The queasiness to my stomach accompanied it, as well as the heavy and tight lump in my throat. The bitter taste in my mouth. The feeling of dejection falling upon me stronger than ever.  
I frowned and closed my eyes tight, putting an end to my pointless sprinting. In a poor attempt at diverting my attention from it all, I focused on evening my breathing pattern and stopping panting from the physical effort. Yet that strain was nothing compared to the emotional burden.   
I refused to cry again. I promised myself I would be strong, that I would stop being weak. From then on I would have to face much worse, I could not break down so easily. I refused to crumble again.   
I only grew aware of my loud sobs when another sound overlapped that one, startling me.   
“Wh-where you going?” Prompto’s voice sounded broken, astounded and small.   
I sighed in defeat upon realizing I had been caught. I slowly turned around to meet face to face with him and shrugged in helplessness.  
“I don’t know!” I threw my arms up in the air, utterly resigned and defeated.   
I recognized the realization when it passed by his features, causing his eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. Then they came back down as he frowned, and he cautiously outstretched his hand as he slowly approached me, as though trying to reach out to me.  
“Please, don’t leave” I also read fear and caution in his eyes, like he expected me to run off into the distance at any second.   
“Noct’s gone” My voice cracked, hinting at the stupid tears that welled up in my eyes even though I tried to fight them.   
“I know…”   
“I-I need to leave, I can’t take it. I need to be alone, Prompto… I-I need to-”  
“Alex, you can’t run away” The blond choked out, conforming a pained expression.   
“Yes, I can!” Determined and too frightened the face the situation, I took a step away from him.   
Fast as lightning, Prompto grasped my wrist with surprising aggressiveness and adamancy. We struggled as I tried to break free from his grip and he reinforced it to hold me back.  
“Let go!”  
“No, stay with me!”  
“I said let me go! I’m leaving!”  
“You can’t!”  
“I can and I will!”  
“Alex, please…”  
“Leave me alone, I can!”  
“You can’t!” He exclaimed in a terrified beg. “Last time you almost died!”  
I immediately stopped fighting and locked eyes with him. The plea in his watery eyes broke my heart, it was an ocean of blue drowned in sadness and pain. I bowed my head down in shame at the sight of that, finding it impossible to hold his gaze.   
There I was, being disgustingly selfish when I had started to think I had improved. After all, I may not have completely overcome my old puerile habits. I hadn’t completely gotten over my weaknesses if I was allowing my bursting emotions to get in my way.  
“I was… willing to…” I sighed and gulped down the lump in my throat, and with it my urge to cry. “Because I’m a coward”   
Prompto’s fingers notably softened against my skin, yet he didn’t let go of me quite yet.   
“I feel like running away too, Alex, but…” He confessed, tugging at me so I would face him. “But we need each other more than ever now!”  
Reluctantly, I turned around and stood face to face with him. I wanted to say something to excuse myself, yet he had not finished conveying his own feelings.   
“Darkness will only grow with time, and there’s gonna be daemons all over the place, it’s a scary thought, but we have to stay together” He frowned with determination, showing he had a great inner strength and will. Far greater than mine. “And that’s what I’m gonna do, stand by you all”   
We paused as we looked into each other’s eyes. Prompto attempted to put together a small smile, trying to entice me to stay by his side. Yet he didn’t need to, he was absolutely right. As he had been many times. It reminded me of how much I loved him, how much I needed him.  
I collided with him in an intimate and needy embrace, wrapping my arms around his back and resting my hands in the back of his shoulders. Almost in an instinct, his arms reclaimed their rightful place holding me like they had done so many times.   
“I’m scared, Prom…” I felt him tensing up at my words and he didn’t reply at first.  
“M-Me too, Alex” He sighed after a brief moment of silence. His upbeat voice was gone, just to be replaced with a quiet and crestfallen tone. “But we’ll get through this together”  
“What about Noct?”   
“Don’t worry, he’ll be back”   
There was so much faith dripping from his voice. Prompto was sure, his friend wouldn’t let him down. Yet that wasn’t Noct’s decision, was it? I did not know anymore, and honestly I was starting not to care at all. All I wanted was my friend back. I just wanted this pain to end.  
“How can you be so sure?” I whispered, mentally exhausted.   
My head tiredly rested over his shoulder when I started feeling weak, and one of his hands cupped the back of it as the other one lingered on my waist.  
“I just know it, Alex” Prompto said, hopeful. “Noct will be back”   
“You’re right” I sighed, even though I myself didn’t believe those words. “He has to”


	19. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Noctis gone, the group must wait in the hopes that he will return. However, the darkness is settling quickly and they are drifting away while they wait, unsure if he will even come back.

One week passed.   
It felt like the darkness had taken with it the few glee we had left as it settled. The four of us occupied ourselves with some investigation as we attempted to gather as much information about the world’s current situation as possible. We needed to learn the extent of the harm, the intensity of which the darkness had engulfed Eos with.   
It was bad. As we moved from one place to the other we walked as though we were zombies, dragging our feet across the ground and barely even speaking. The atmosphere was one of apathy, gloom and misery.   
We made our way to Hammerhead, assuming we would at least be safe there. Fortunately, our friends Cindy and Cid were alive and well, and would keep us company. Not to mention lend us a car when we needed. Even if no vehicle could compare to the Regalia’s magnificence.   
We ran into Umbra, Noctis’ dog that he once used to communicate with Lady Lunafreya, and prepared a message that he was to deliver to our regal friend. If he was to come back, that was.   
For the time being, we remained in Hammerhead.   
I couldn’t help but to remember about its previous state. The heavy yet warm heat that used to fall upon it as the sun bathed the entire garage. I profoundly missed that, as we were forced to make use of our flashlights more and more in order to see anything. It was like a constant night that never ended.   
One day, after barely speaking to one another, we were going to sleep in the caravans. I kept an eye on Ignis as he carefully climbed up the two steps that led inside the vehicle, going after Gladio.  
Like the literal and metaphorical darkness wasn’t enough, Ignis’ eyesight hadn’t returned. I must have been extremely gullible to believe it ever could, as it seemed it never would in the end. He was permanently blind.   
I placed a hand on his back even though he never lost balance, and he turned his head at me and nodded in gratitude for the thoughtful gesture. At least we still had each other.   
Just as I placed one foot on the first step and before I could follow Ignis inside, a hand sneaked around mine and found home around it. Fingers intertwined, I rejoiced in the familiar and comforting touch.   
Knowing what I would find when I did, I looked over my shoulder to see the golden and bright beauty of Prompto’s face. He smiled at me when my eyes landed on him. It wasn’t a cheerful smile, but it was a genuine and loving and warm one. It wasn’t often that I saw him display an authentic and not forced smile lately and it made me realize how much I adored the way it beautifully formed on his lips, tenderly.   
Then he silently took me with him as we went over to the bed we would share and sat down, still holding hands. That smile lingered on his lips. I nodded as the both of us lied down together, tightly holding each other as we snuggled as close as we could. We didn’t speak, we didn’t need to. Because even the slightest glance or touch was already a conversation for us. It was small interactions like those with my friends that helped me move forward those first days. That gave me the strength to continue when I felt too depressed to move on.

 

One month. And every second of it was pure torture.   
Yet, after all, my mind had finally grown accustomed to the idea that Noctis was no longer with us, to his absence. I no longer turned around in search for him to watch his reaction or seek his opinion. It still hurt, but at least I didn’t expect him to be there anymore.   
Contrary to popular belief, time doesn’t heal all wounds. All it does is merely close them, for the scars remain.   
I had also stopped hoping. Hoping that every figure in the distance was the one of Noct. Hoping that every phone call came from his number. That every car that passed by our outpost could somehow carry him.   
Ignis and Prompto held on to that hope, deciding to take an optimistic perspective to our friend’s absence. Gladio and I, on the other hand, were skeptical. Noct might never come back and we had to get used to that idea.   
The only saving grace was that we were mostly too busy to think about him or notice his absence. With daemons running freely with the thick darkness that had taken over, we were forced to become hunters in order to defend ourselves from that menace. And when we got back to our lodging, we were far too exhausted to dwell on our agony.   
At least Prompto’s gun firing lessons came in handy more than ever as it allowed me to save them countless times. I still preferred to use guns as a last resort, though.   
After a tiring daemon hunt, I was inside the caravan with Ignis while the rest were outside, chatting with Cindy. We were slowly carrying on with our lives trying to dismiss the fact that we were surrounded by darkness and lacking a king and a friend.   
When Ignis let out a quiet yet vexed sigh, I took notice of the fact that I had been pacing up and down ever since I came inside the caravan. I immediately quit doing it and sat by his side instead. His head briefly turned at the sound, and at first I thought he would say something. He didn’t.   
One good thing had come out of the whole situation. I hardly ever cared about my stupid insecurities or fears anymore, they were puerile and had no importance by that point. I didn’t care anymore about foolish concepts like embarrassment or shyness. I just didn’t have it in me to care. So I rested my head on Ignis’ shoulder. He visibly tensed up, taken aback by the gesture, yet seemed content with it nonetheless.   
“Iggy” I uttered, feeling like I had hardly ever spoken up in the entire month.  
“Yes?”   
“Do you think he’ll be back?”   
Of course, it was not necessary to clarify. Noctis always remained as a little presence in the back of our heads, no matter how exhausted, busy or preoccupied we were. We merely tried to pretend like he didn’t. It was far easier that way.   
After a brief silence, Ignis placed his gloved hand over mine. I was surprised that he knew where I rested it, yet he had become more aware of his surroundings despite his blindness.   
“I do” His solemn voice sounded confident and calm. “I have no doubt about it”   
“You’re right” I said out loud, to deceive him. I could no longer deceive myself. “You always are”   
I didn’t have the heart to confess to him that I had no trace of hope left. 

 

Two months.   
Prompto was becoming more and more important to me, even more so than before. Which was saying something. It was true that Gladio and Ignis sometimes did their best to cheer all of us up, but Prompto always had a unique gift to achieve it. He shone with a natural glow that passed on to anyone close enough to him. Soft, warm and bright like sunshine.  
Furthermore, we were slowly drifting apart from each other. With Noct gone, it was harder for us to stick together despite our friendship. Sometimes I felt like the only reason we remained as a group was because we did it for him, to honor his memory. Even though he wasn’t dead. Or we hoped he wasn’t.  
Yet after a specially hard and challenging daemon hunt, I was left sore, tired and apathetic. Assuring the rest that I needn’t no assistance on the task, I went to the garage and picked up the first aid kit that Cindy kept in there in order to heal my superficial wounds. Just when I was finished and putting it back on its place, someone loudly walked over to me to announce their presence. I recognized Prompto’s figure and walked closer to him in order to meet with him.   
“Don’t worry, I am alright” Always the apprehensive, my boyfriend worried every time I was wounded during our hunts. No matter how unimportant my bruises were. So I always tried to comfort him when it happened. “I promise, I’m okay”   
“No, you’re not…” His voice sounded broken as he slowly shook his head.   
“I am! I treated my cuts and now I am alright!” I insisted, showing him my bandaged arms.   
“That’s not what I meant, baby” Taking advantage of their position, Prompto held my forearms in a gentle grip and softly slid his hands down them until they rested around mine.   
“Then what did you mean?” I observed him with curiosity as he gently tugged at my hands to separate the small distance between our bodies.   
“I haven’t seen you smile in days, Xanders” Prompto placed both his hands on my waist and attracted me closer to him until my front leaned against his. “I miss that smile”   
I could have said the same thing about him, yet he always found a way to smile at me. Perhaps he was trying too hard to oblige, perhaps it was an honest and genuine display of his affection. It was comforting, however, to see he hadn’t lost that lovely smile quite yet.   
One of his hands suddenly left my side and took ahold of my hand. Not letting go of me, Prompto then began to sway with me.   
“What are you doing?” I uttered in shock, locking eyes with him.   
His glance was as pure as ever, filled with adoration even though the concern and sorrow attempted to overshadow it.   
“What does it look like? I’m dancing” He slowly moved, rhythmically, leading my movements as well.  
“Prom, there’s no music”   
“We don’t need it”   
“What is the point of this, exactly?”   
“I saw it on a movie once” My boyfriend dedicated me an affectionate glance as he lightly shrugged. “The boy started dancing with the girl and she cheered up”   
I chuckled in appreciation, endeared by such an altruistic thought.   
“You’re the best, sunshine” I realized only then, how long it had been since I last called him that.   
“You flatter me, Xanders” He replied, perfectly mimicking Ignis’ tone and accent. It actually put a smile on my face. “Seriously, though”   
As we kept on slow dancing to no music, I craned my neck to leave a tender kiss on his lips. We never stopped moving, involved in the rhythmical and soothing swaying and the extreme and intimate closeness as our bodies touched.   
His lips brought me comfort once more as they moved in sync with mine. They filled me with warmth and hope. The kiss was cleansing and exhilarating, sweet and uplifting.   
Something scratched my chin when I pulled away, and when I looked down to his mouth I noticed a bit of fuzz that truly exposed the passing of time despite my perception.   
“You’re itchy” I gently pinched his chin to feel the start of his facial hair. I could not picture Prompto with a full grown beard, it was such a strange image.  
“I’m growing a beard” He proudly replied, still not letting go of me nor stopping dancing.  
“You mean a goatee” I teased him a bit, noticing the fuzz only grew in that spot.   
“For now” He brushed the rude comment off. “You wait and see”   
A smile unexpectedly crept up to my mouth, and I decided its place was against his. Hopefully, it would pass over to him.   
Indeed, the corner of his lips lifted on the brief kiss.  
I sighed and leaned closer to him, nuzzling my nose against his shoulder, nearly like I was falling in love with him all over again. I embraced that feeling of comfort and tranquil. Engraving it in my memory in an attempt to savor that sweet, wholesome, candid and happy moment. 

 

Five months had passed.   
Lately, every single day could be summarized in lots of hunting. It was everything we did all day other than sleeping. And other than travelling back and forth from Lestallum to Hammerhead. Yet, of course, we could hardly tell days apart with the lack of sunlight. We were solely oriented by Ignis’ watch as our phones batteries died long ago.   
We were more distant and susceptible than ever. Everyone seemed to be their own person, the previously well-oiled machine that it was our team became rusty as it had stopped feeling like we were a group anymore.   
I had drifted apart from Gladiolus first, and even from Ignis eventually. Nonetheless, despite the fact that we spent most of our time together, Prompto and I also seemed a bit off. As though we had lost touch, like the connection we always shared had faded away. Not quite like we were strangers, as the four of us remained close friends and still trusted each other. Yet… it wasn’t the same. This showed especially when we hunted. Perhaps because the daemons were greater foes than other creatures we previously faced were. However, I was inclined to believe it was the fact that our strategy was more chaotic.   
“Earth to Alex!” Gladio shouted at me, grunting from the effort. “Quit daydreaming!”   
I didn’t reply, I merely clenched my teeth and obliged. It was only that lately it had been harder and harder to focus. Some absences were too notable.   
I wearily threw my sword upon the flame daemon and sent it to its demise. What I hadn’t noticed, however, was that another daemon was sneaking up on me. Perhaps I had improved my tactic, yet I had lost my focus almost completely.  
The other daemon swung a terrible giant black claw at me, sweeping me off my feet and throwing me on the ground. When it did, it closed its claw and thrusted it upon me.  
My reflexes still worked, however, as I was fast enough to scoot away from it and nearly put myself to safety. Albeit my legs, as I was partially too slow and the impact fell upon my foot. I screamed out in pain, conjured my sword off to make an exchange with my gun, and shot it in the face, getting carried away with anger as my gun went off repeatedly.   
I was surprised that my aim was accurate as I had not wielded that gun in a very long time, favoring my habitual trustworthy sword.   
I was about to shoot at the other daemons to help my friends when I realized they had just finished their opponents as well.   
“Alexandria!” Ignis gasped, making his way towards me as fast as he could.   
“Don’t freak out” I grumpily replied as I pushed myself to my feet. “I’m alright”   
“You were hit” Gladio dismissed his sword and observed me in slight concern.   
“I will survive” I hoped they didn’t notice my limp as I tried to favor the ankle the daemon had just hurt. But Prompto, of course, did. Lately he was especially clingy, almost as though he was obsessed with looking after me. Surely, there was something bigger behind that need to keep me safe and in good spirits.  
With a resolved sigh, the blond positioned himself before me facing his back to me, and took ahold of my wrists.   
“Ugh, what are you doing?!” I exclaimed as he casually hoisted me up onto his back.   
“Carrying you” He shrugged as he allowed me to rest my entire body weight against him. “You have weak ankles, Xanders!”   
I had noticed how often he called me by that playful nickname lately, which he always used when he was trying to get me to crack a smile. It was part of his elaborated plan to look after me, I supposed. Perhaps it was his mind trying to take control of some circumstances he had actually power over.   
Hence, Prompto carried me to the pick-up truck that brought us to that place and made sure I was sitting comfortably in the back seat.   
“Be right back, I’m gonna check on Ignis” He said before leaving hurriedly.   
Gladio came by in the meantime and sat on the driver’s seat. He looked at me in the rear view mirror and nodded in my direction.  
“Making a big deal out of things as usual, huh?” I knew he was referring to Prompto. While oddly endearing, his behavior lately was somewhat… irritating. Especially when it came to battling daemons. Maybe he was afraid of losing us like he lost Noct.   
“As usual” I replied with a nod of agreement. “It’s really not that bad, barely hurts now. I could walk”   
“Good ol’ Prompto” He chuckled in the end, a sound I hadn’t heard in a long time. I evoked the sound of his blatant and loud guffaws of laughter and smiled at the memory of those good times.   
“Are you doing okay, Gladio?” I felt the need to ask him, knowing we barely talked lately.   
“I’m fine” His smug grin had developed into a more modest and tender gesture as well. Everything was changing. “Daemons are no match for me”   
Although, those last words were amusing and cocky still. Some things never change.  
“I meant about… you know… everything”   
“Don’t worry about me, kid”  
Just when he was done speaking, Prompto and Ignis arrived and joined us, sitting in the back with me and the front with Gladio respectively.   
“Is everyone alright then?”   
“We’re alright, Iggy”   
That had become our idle, monotone and sad routine. Being beat up by daemons until we achieved victory and constantly asking each other if we were okay. Even though we knew we weren’t. 

 

One year.   
Days had started to blend together and I could no longer tell how long it had been since Noctis was gone ever since the first anniversary from his disappearance was marked.   
We had established in Lestallum instead of Hammerhead, seeing as more people sheltered there. Talcott had joined us at some point in time, along with Iris. Gladiolus was relieved to finally hear news from his beloved sister, and so were we. The more of our friends we could reunite with, the better.   
One day I felt strange. Overwhelmed, restless, out of myself. A weight, heavy like lead, had settled on my chest and wouldn’t allow me to breathe properly. Oddly enough, I was looking forward to hunting some daemons to… feel something.   
Within I felt like I was empty, like I had been drained from all emotions. Hunting appeared to me as a solution, as a way to produce some adrenaline and perhaps even some serotonin. At the very least, it would force me to focus on something other than my distressed state, it would distract me from everything. And it did, until we climbed into the rundown truck that we used to move from one place to another and that Cindy kindly allowed us to borrow whenever we pleased.   
The silent ride –albeit with the occasional comment from one of the boys –only sank me deeper into that strange and unnerving condition. It felt like the car didn’t move fast enough as we returned to Hammerhead. Yet we eventually arrived.  
As soon as Gladio and Prompto left to talk to Cindy and Cid, a hand wrapped around my upper arm. I did not have to look around to know it was Ignis judging by the firm yet gentle grip.   
“A word, Alexandria?”   
“Are you a mind reader now?” I bitterly told him, understanding he wanted to address my behavior.   
“Alas, you do know what I want to talk about”   
“Yes, you always knew me too well, Iggy…”   
Reluctantly, I turned around to be face to face with him and crossed my arms in a gesture of defeat and compliance. Ignis paused, a habit that he developed as he tried to use his other senses to acknowledge his surroundings. When he confirmed it was a private conversation, he got started.   
“You never allowed yourself to show weakness, dear” Both his tone and smile were tender and paternal as his hand softly fell on my shoulder. “No one would blame you if you began doing so”   
“I’m… To be honest, I’m afraid I will drag you with me” Surprisingly enough, admitting those words released part of the heavy weight in my chest. “That is why I try to remain strong for you all”   
“Sometimes the biggest strength resides in allowing oneself to be vulnerable” His smile tenderized even further, if that was possible.   
I chuckled in disbelief. I had so few interactions with him lately, I had almost forgotten who I was talking to. Ignis Scientia, once royal advisor. A kind and selfless man, yet also an intelligent, calm and mature person.   
“You’re wiser than ever, Iggy” I rested my hand atop of his to thank him.   
“Anything you would like to say then?”   
“I wouldn’t say anything new, surely we are all experiencing the same emotions”   
“Nonetheless” His fingers lightly squeezed me as he shook his head. “You might find cathartic to speak your mind. You mustn’t bottle up your strife”   
I bit hard on my lip and tightened the grip on his hand, seeking as much comfort from him as I could gather. Touched by his disposition to hear me despite his own struggles, a warmth engulfed me. The fond and welcoming warmth of having an intimate moment with a friend, a genuine heart to heart. A feeling I had nearly forgotten.   
“I just miss him so much, you know?” By that point, I was clinging to his hand. It felt like it would save me from the abyss that threatened to swallow me whole as I poured all my emotions out. “I can’t stop thinking about how I used to be so irritated by him, how I only saw him as a spoiled princely brat once. And now his absence is so heavy that it takes my breath away”  
A nervous trembling had taken over me, it was also noticeable in my voice, yet speaking my thoughts felt so comforting. I couldn’t stop myself, so I continued talking.   
“Sometimes I fear he didn’t realize how important he is to me, and I fear I won’t see him again and have the chance to tell him, to show him. To… at least hug him once more”   
“Alex…”   
“Truth is, although the darkness is terrifying… I don’t want the Chosen King anymore” I sighed, still refusing to cry. Perhaps because I was too scared that I wouldn’t be able to stop if I started. “I just want my friend back, Iggy…”   
“I miss him too, darling…” His thumb brushed against my cheek, and I could tell he was feeling in search for tears yet found none. “But Noct will be back, we must have faith”   
I stared at Ignis in an attempt to empathize with him. To put myself in his shoes in order to comfort him as well. It wasn’t fair that he always put us before himself.   
Truth was, Gladio and Iggy always concealed their struggles for our sakes. They always had. They felt responsible for us, almost like our older siblings, protective in every way.   
I tried to think like Ignis, and I realized how he must have felt. He had always looked after Noctis, surely guilt was eating him alive.   
“It’s not your fault, you know that” I uttered carefully, afraid to cross the line. “It’s nobody’s fault”   
Even though an understanding and thankful grin plastered on his lips, I noticed the slight shift in his stoic demeanor. As though he was letting his guard down for just a moment after so long keeping it up.   
“I am aware, Alex, thank you”   
“I mean it. After all, I suppose it was his destiny as the King of Light” I sighed, resigned with that fact. Accepting it. “Perhaps it was bound to happen in order to restore the light”   
“You too are wiser than ever now” Ignis’ hand slipped down my arm until it completely lost contact with me. “I am proud of you, Alexandria”   
Gently, I briefly wrapped my arms around his torso. It made me feel foolish for not having done so before, either with him or Gladio or even Prompto. Just claim a hug if I genuinely craved it.  
“Thank you, that means a lot to me”   
“Are you feeling better? Is there anything else you need?”   
“I just want to know if you’re okay” I looked up at him as I slowly broke the embrace. “If you’re really okay”   
“I am, you have my word” Ignis nodded solemnly. “Of course, the situation is not pleasant and Noct’s absence saddens me. Yet I am okay in spite of all”   
I fondly squeezed his arm in acknowledgment and tugged at it so we would join the rest at last. It felt good to get those things off my chest. 

 

A few days after that conversation with Ignis, I definitely broke down. Everything had become too painful to bear. It all had been building up little by little with each passing day, like water drops that slowly filled the glass until it was full and overflowing. Distancing ourselves more and more from each other, the uneasy darkness, the daemons, the miserable and depressing state the world was in, the mere passing of time, the overwhelming mood of woe and peril that followed me everywhere I went. And the immense absence of our friend.  
But what triggered my breakdown was a camera. Prompto’s camera.   
I found it by coincidence, and realized he hadn’t used it ever since Noctis disappeared. Nostalgic and slightly thrilled to see some wholesome and heartwarming pictures of my friends and myself for a change, I turned the camera on and started shuffling through the photos Prompto once took.   
Such endeavor had the opposite effect, however, as I was hit with the realization that we wouldn’t be able to enjoy moments like those anymore. None of us would smile like that again, none of us would be together in that manner. It felt like we would never be happy again.  
There wouldn’t be more camping nights eating Ignis’ meals and chatting around the fire, joking and playing King’s Knight. There wouldn’t be any more rides in the Regalia. There wouldn’t be any more… happiness. Not without Noctis, not without our friend.   
Prompto caught me bawling my eyes out inside the diner, engulfed in darkness as I had hidden there believing no one would think I was in there. Like everything else, the diner was abandoned after all. On one of the booths, I curled over myself in one of the red padded seats that used to serve as eating arrangements. He quietly sat down in the one in front of me, resting his arms over the table as he observed me.   
“Wanna talk?” He whispered in a soothing way despite his direct approach.   
“It’s just becoming too much” I sniffled through my nose. “We keep waiting and waiting and…”   
“Every day we’re closer to Noct’s return” Prompto tried to see the positive side. “I’m sure of it, if we just wait, he’ll-”   
“It’s not that…”   
“What is it then, is it not about Noct?”   
“Of course it’s about Noct!”   
“We all miss him, Alex, it’s okay to feel like that”  
“Prom, you don’t understand…” My voice sounded hoarse because of the crying, yet I didn’t care. “Noct changed my life!”   
My boyfriend tilted his head to the side, not quite following what I implied. Surely, Noctis changed Prompto’s life in a way as well. His love and friendship meant so much.  
“If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be here right now, I wouldn’t have met you” I averted my eyes, feeling self-conscious even though I didn’t try to conceal my tears. “Because of Noctis, I came with you guys on a journey, and so many things changed…”  
Cautiously, I glimpsed at Prompto. He remained silent, intently listening to what I had to say and observing me with soft eyes, wanting to know my inner thoughts and my honest emotions.   
“Before… Before I was just a member of the Council, a female copy of Ignis who didn’t really know who she was, whose entire behavior was a façade. I was content with just following him around and giving my advice to the king, I didn’t have any other aspirations” I chuckled out of frustration. “And now I know who I am, I know what I want… And you have all accepted me exactly for who and what I am, and it all started with him”   
Prompto frowned in a way that let me know he was deeply moved by such confession. Yet he didn’t speak still, letting me finish.   
“You know what’s funny about it? I disliked him so much at first, his mere presence irritated me! And now every day I pray to meet him again to thank him for everything he’s done for me. For his kind and soft heart and his friendship, for this opportunity and-and…”   
Upon noticing I was turning into a mumbling and sobbing mess, Prompto urgently stood up and sat at the very edge of the seat I was occupying as he barely fit in there with me.   
His arms engulfed my curled up form, one arm wrapped behind my back and the other around my legs as he pulled me close.   
“I know how you feel, Noct was the first true friend I ever had, you know?” Honestly, I never really heard their story. “He’s… he’s really special”   
“How did you meet?” Slowly feeling how my sobbing softened, I looked up at him. Prom reciprocated my glance with a tender look in his eyes. When he looked away, I read a hint of nostalgia in that ocean of vibrant azure.   
“We met in primary school, but I didn’t work up the nerve to talk to him until high school, heh” It was refreshing to hear his light chuckles again, as well as that heartwarming story.   
“Sounds like you, Prom” I forced myself to tease him as I wiped the tears from my face.   
“I was very shy” The blond shrugged, even though his arms tightened around me slightly, perhaps in an unconscious gesture. “I just wanted to be his friend… Neither of us seemed to have real friends”  
It was my time to linger in the silence, so I merely rested my head on his shoulder and waited for him to say something else, looking up at him attentively.   
“All I ever wanted was friends, and in him I finally had one. When I hung out with Noct, I forgot about all my insecurities, I wasn’t lonely anymore… He made me feel loved, at home” His cheek gently rested on my head as he sighed dreamily. “And thanks to him, I met you all too. Iggy, Gladio and you…”   
“We owe him quite a lot” I dared to pipe up, albeit making my voice low.   
“That we do” He chuckled, rubbing his cheek against my head lovingly. “It would make him all smug and smirky if we ever told him, though”   
“That bloody smug grin of his” I laughed a bit too, picturing it in my head.   
The both of us shared a moderate laugh. After that, the silence established.   
Prompto was holding me, and it was one of the few things that brought me a feeling of safety in such a perilous world. In such a strange moment.  
“I’m drowsy” I mumbled, devoid from my strength, as I snuggled closer to him. “I’m so comfortable that I could fall asleep”  
“Go ‘head” He replied tenderly. “I’ll protect you”   
“From what?”  
“Anything”  
With that, I felt into a deep slumber being held by him. It was the first time in months that I had a pleasant and calm dream. And it was while wrapped in Prompto’s arms, knowing he would watch over me. 

 

I couldn’t tell how long it had been since I last saw Gladio or Ignis. I wouldn’t see Prompto either if it weren’t because we were still a couple, albeit not as closely as we were before.   
For the most part, we stayed at Lestallum. Even though we had started separating to tend to our own business. At some point they changed from our business to my business.   
I lied down on our bed, staring up at the ceiling, pensive. Prompto had already fallen asleep, luckily for him. He exhausted himself with the hunting and running errands for Cindy or someone else.   
Going to sleep was the best yet the worst part of the day. It was relieving to get some rest and put our weary minds at ease with the joy of slumber. Yet it also gave us some time alone with our thoughts as we struggled to fall asleep.   
A feeling of dread and peril had accompanied us every day of our lives ever since the darkness settled. The roars of the daemons out in the open was harrowing and distressing, reminding us of their existence even in our calmest moments.   
Nightmares were recurrent, and we were always afraid to wake up in a cold sweat. Every single night.   
I hadn’t realized I had fallen asleep until I awoke in the middle of the night.   
Prompto still slept peacefully next to me, pressing his back against my torso as he rested on his side. I was warmed by such an adorable sight, and couldn’t resist the urge to lean forward and plant feather-light kisses on his cheeks and on the freckles on his nose.   
A sleepy smile was drawn on his pink lips as he tossed around and faced me. He curled up over himself and cuddled me closer, almost as though he loved me even in his sleep.  
Content with the endearing moment, I went back to sleep, snuggled close to him and being happy for a change.   
However, such peaceful moment didn’t last long, for I was awoken abruptly. My eyes snapped open in a scare, hearing heavy breathing and feeling the bed move next to me.   
“Prompto?” I whispered as I tiredly opened my eyes. I immediately sobered up when I was received with his expression, even though his eyes remained closed.   
He was indeed gasping for air, but his face was sickly pale and the sweat stuck his blond hair to his forehead. It wasn’t the first time he, or I for that matter, had a nightmare. But it was scary and worrying every single time, as his eyes also displayed while being laced with horror.   
Urgently, Prompto threw himself to me and clung to me for dear life as soon as he woke up and opened his eyes.   
“I love you” He whispered in a rush, almost breathless. “I-I-I love you, Alex”   
“You had another nightmare, didn’t you?” I asked him, concerned as I rapidly wrapped my arms around him. “It’s alright, I’m here, I’m alright and you’re too”   
I kissed his nose, then his cheek, then his forehead, then his jaw. I caressed his hair with tender hands and held him close to my chest.   
I couldn’t tell if he just had one of those nightmares in which he lost us, any of us. Yet knowing some of his nightmares had to do with the irrational fear that his barcode somehow made us change our minds about him, I held his wrist and kissed it lightly just in case. To remind him that I still loved him and he belonged with me. Always.

 

One day, once a complete darkness had established, we met with Gladio and Ignis near Hammerhead, teaming up like the old days to hunt some daemons. It was strange feeling like my friends were suddenly strangers as we had lost our usual synchronization and communication. We still were stronger as a group and easily defeated the daemons all together. Yet it wasn’t the same as before.   
Just when we were about to go our separate ways again after politely asking each other how we were doing, we received a call. It was from Talcott, and I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the news.   
Noctis was back.


	20. One Last Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After ten year of waiting, Noctis has finally returned to put an end to the darkness. The group returns home to face one last battle and finish Ardyn once and for all. However, they don't know how it will end, even if they all fear their own demise.

I was in shock as a figure got down from the pick-up truck that Talcott drove.   
The man turned to us and walked our direction. For a brief moment I wondered who it could be, or if Talcott made a mistake. That could not be Noctis! It was impossible!   
What had happened to his childlike expression, his mischievous smirk and his playful pale blue eyes? He was wearing Noctis’ clothes, but was it really him? With that long hair that reached his shoulders, completely disheveled and out of control? With that thick beard and scruffy look?   
“Noct…?” I dared to whisper, almost afraid that I would wake up from that beautiful dream.   
His eyes settled on me, eyeing me curiously. I recognized a familiar glow in them, a glow that reminded me of my old friend. I wanted to start crying out of sheer joy when I realized it was really him.   
“You’ve changed, Alex” Noct said after a pause, staring at me in surprise himself.   
I didn’t think twice, I just did something I had wanted to do for literally years. I didn’t care that it would be awkward after so long or that it would be slightly forced. I threw myself to him and hugged him so tight that I made him totter and let out a startled grunt because of the sudden force.   
With the embrace, I let out a trembling sigh in which I seemed to release all the anguish that had been piling up inside of me over the course of all those years. Ten years no less!   
Possessed with a sudden rage, I harshly broke the hug and slapped him in the arm.   
“You royal brat!” I told him off, feeling out of myself.   
Noctis chuckled, endeared with the interaction. However, his eyes were then directed to our friends.   
“Hey” He said, looking at Gladio as he was the closest one to him at the moment.   
“’Hey’?” Gladio huffed in outrage. “That’s all you have to say for yourself after all this time?”   
He playfully pushed him by the shoulder, making him laugh again. I was filled with warmth at the sound of his laughter, of his voice! Sounds I had nearly erased from my mind inevitably with time.   
“Noct…” Prom uttered in awe, tapping him in the arm. “It’s you! It’s really you!”   
How many times had we dreamt about this moment? Only finding completion by the return of Noctis in our sleep? Yet this time we were awake!   
“Yeah? I hadn’t realized” Noctis answered jokingly. It was great seeing he hadn’t lost that sense of humor, sass and smugness. Oh, how I had missed him! Who would have known?   
“Well, well” Ignis spoke up at last. “You kept us waiting”   
“Not like I wanted to” The pri… king replied, placing a hand over Iggy’s shoulder.   
I hung my head low, overwhelmed by the tears that were welling up in my eyes. For the first time ever since we left on that insane journey, they came from a positive impulse. They weren’t tears of sadness, frustration or anger. They were emotional tears, sentimental and happy ones.   
I sniffled through my nose as I observed my four boys. My friends. My family.  
“Alex, are you crying?” Gladio gently slapped me in the shoulder to garner my attention.  
“I’m alright, I’m not crying” I quickly wiped my cheeks from the failing tears, despite the smile on my face. “I’m just happy”   
“You do know there is something such as ‘happy tears’” Ignis smiled sweetly as well.   
I chuckled in embarrassment, shaking my head and trying to get over myself. It was quite silly actually, to get so emotional. Even if it could be logical after reaching a moment I had been lasting for.   
Prompto was fast to stand by my side and drop an arm on my shoulders, cheerfully shaking me to tease me about my state.   
“We’ve got catching up to do” Noctis tore his gaze away from me and projected it to the rest of them.   
“Let’s head inside” Ignis agreed, leading the way as we got into the Hammerhead diner. They all followed, but I took Noctis’ arm to claim a moment alone with him. Surprised by this, he looked at me in expectation.   
“Noct” I smiled fondly, rubbing his arm. “Now that you’re back, I just wanna say some things I never said to you that I want you to know. I… I’ve missed you, and I appreciate you a lot. So thank you for everything, because if it weren’t for you-”   
To my surprise, he engulfed me in a friendly hug that cut me off and I could hear his chuckle over my shoulder.   
“Shut up, Alex” Noct mumbled as he squeezed me against him. “Cut the cheesy crap”   
I chuckled, shamefully wiping a few sneaky tears that fell from my eyes. Again, tears of joy.   
“You’re right” Noticing I should have done so before, I wrapped my arms around him as well. “You already know anyhow”   
Noctis then broke the hug and patted my arms, pausing for a few seconds.   
It was so strange seeing him again after so many years… Noctis had changed so much! Which made me think that we had changed as well. Both Gladio and Ignis changed their hairstyles when their hair grew longer, as did I. Unlike them, however, I decided to drastically cut mine until it barely reached my shoulders due to the fact that it grew so long that it became annoying. Prompto grew an actual goatee in the end too, slightly changing his appearance. Other than that, I assumed we hadn’t changed too much. Albeit perhaps we had aged a tad in those ten years.   
Prompto stuck his head at the door, impatiently waving his head to urge us to come in already. We smiled and obliged.   
I couldn’t believe we were finally together. All five of us again.

 

Noctis explained what happened inside the Crystal, the fact that he had taken so long due to slowly building up the power he needed to restore the light in Eos. We, on turn, briefly narrated our mishaps moving from Lestallum to Hammerhead and vice versa. We didn’t want to dwell on the situation and so we left behind the tales of our demon hunting days once we were caught up. It felt purifying to end the conversation with very much needed mindless, friendly and lively banter. Just like the old times.   
After that, we spoke to Talcott, who enlightened us about Ardyn’s story and whereabouts. We needed to face him in order to end the darkness’ reign, and even if we didn’t, he had been the one to always get in our way every chance he had.   
Hence, the five of us headed to the Citadel for the frightening encounter with Ardyn Izunia once and for all. Or, as he was actually called… Ardyn Lucis Caelum.

 

I felt out of place wearing those Kingsglaive garments. Not only because they weren’t mine, but because… I wasn’t an official member of the Kingsglaive, it felt wrong! I barely considered myself a Crownsguard member, yet alone a Kingsglaive!   
I solely put the uniform on because Noctis insisted, perhaps not to make me feel left out as they were all wearing them.   
The boys looked great in their new gear –I wondered how I looked in the uniform myself -, but it was so surreal watching them with other clothes! Overall, Noctis. It was such a drastic change from his usual black clothes with those many skulls all over it. His kingly robes brought Regis’ memory back as he looked so much like his father.   
“I don’t think I earned the right to wear this” I told my friend, pulling at my clothes.   
“You earned every right” Noct placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. “You became a Crownsguard during our journey, and now you will be a Kingsglaive”   
I was amazed by how much we had grown, how close we had gotten. We used to see each other as mere nuisances, and Noctis had never trusted me. Yet now he had entrusted me with his protection, just like he had with Ignis, Gladio and Prompto. I felt honored and humbled by such a vote of faith in me, so I nodded with determination. He grinned in response, patting me before he turned his back to me.   
“Let’s go” He held his head up as he leaded the way.   
Noctis had changed so much. We all had during those ten years, we had mature and improved, but it was especially notable with him. A new aura engulfed him, a new authoritarian and imposing halo that enveloped him. Almost like a leader. Definitely as a king, as a ruler.   
It was strange seeing Noctis as a leader. Not because he didn’t fit the part, but because I knew the boy –now man, I suppose –instead of the king. Because I had been beside him when he laughed over a silly picture or when he teased me like a child. When he blushed after a compliment and when he was annoyed at his friends. He was a king, but he was also my close friend and I would never stop seeing him as such.  
We followed Noctis as we reached Insomnia. It was quite heartbreaking to witness our home in such a deteriorated state.   
We fought our way to the Citadel, and with every step, my fear grew bigger. It was the moment we had been waiting for ten years. With Noct’s return, such confrontation was due as well. We were ready. 

 

Those stairs. The stairs that led to the royal home, the long stairs that I had walked up and down so many times. It was a familiar sight that made me quite emotional after so long. When Noctis stopped before them, I knew the time had come. I was frightened, jittery and nervous. We were to fight for the light, to fight for Lucis, for Eos. For all our fallen friends, for ourselves.   
Our royal friend turned around and glanced at us, an emotional glint shining in his eyes.  
“Stand by me?” He said, his voice still surprisingly adult and gruff, as he looked at each one of us.   
“Always, Noct” I spoke up for all my friends and took his hand to reinforce my words.   
“That’s right” Prompto nodded, proceeding to take my hand on turn.  
“No doubt about it” Ignis agreed, determined to follow Noctis until the end.   
“You know it” Gladio showed a lopsided grin, courageous as ever.   
We would stand by him and by each other. Like we always had. Like we always would.   
Prepared to face whatever, we marched onwards. Until we saw none other than Ardyn standing at the end of the staircase.   
“Ifrit, the Infernian” He began saying in that odious and irritating arrogant voice of his that I despised so much. “He doesn’t share the Glacian’s fondness for mankind, but you can expect a warm welcome. I shall await you above”   
My friends and I exchanged confused glances as we awaited Ifrit. Ardyn was coward enough to get a deity to fight his battles for him.   
The entire round square of the Citadel then suddenly erupted into flames as a ring of fire surrounded a mighty deity sitting in a throne. Ifrit no less.   
As we tried to approach him, the god threw a violent wave of flames our direction. Noctis was at the center of said wave and the fire enveloped him as he threw himself to the ground.   
“Noct!” Prompto yelled, immediately running to his aid.   
Knowing he would be safe in his hands, I ran to reunite with Ignis. What was there to do other than hide? Our weapons were no match to his powerful fire, and Ardyn knew that when he summoned him against us.   
My friend blindly reached out for me, soon finding my sleeve and pulling at it until I crouched down in the ground with him. The horizontal support of a pillar sheltered us from the heat.  
“Noct, over here!” Ignis called out for him. “Quickly, before he strikes again!”   
I hesitated to go to his aid, although Iggy tugged at my sleeve with iron hands to keep me in place. Much to my relief, Gladio got ahold of Noctis and brought him to us. But where was Prompto?!   
Just as the other two were joining us, the blond jumped over the horizontal part of the pillar and huddled closer to us. The five of us tightly held to each other in an attempt to be protected from the incoming fire.   
Grunts and heavy pants came from all of us as the flames surrounded us and brought and insufferable heat around us, like that coming from a dragon’s breath. We waited, and once the fire around us vanished, we were free to attack.   
It was time to pull out my gun once again, as it would be more effective in a long distance fight like such. Using what I had learned during all that time, I dodged and ran around as I shot him. It seemed to be doing some damage added to the attacks of my friends.   
“Prompto!” Noctis called him, and the blond obliged.   
Prom summoned two guns instead of just one and rolled around on the ground to avoid Ifrit’s attacks as he shot him repeatedly.   
“I don’t think we’re doing too much damage!” Gladio shouted, still thrusting his sword upon the titanic entity.   
“I agree with Gladio” Ignis nodded, aware that his usual fire techniques were quite futile against a fire god. “At this rate, it will take us ages to defeat him!”   
“Then I got an idea” Noct assured with a self-satisfied smirk.   
It hadn’t been too often that I saw him summon a god on his side that would ensure our success in battle. Yet I knew that was precisely what he intended to do.   
As I presumed, Noctis’ eyes glistened with a reddish glow as the deity came to his aid. Only with the assistance of Bahamut and then Shiva did we overthrow Ifrit.   
We didn’t even ask each other if the battle had any negative effect on us, we exchanged stoic glances and proceeded to immerse ourselves in the palace to face Ardyn.

 

The inside of the palace was lit up, which implied that Ardyn was impatiently waiting for us. We took the elevator and made a small comment here and there to belittle the tension and anxiety that settled over the group.   
The weight in my chest and stomach intensified. We were at the doors of the throne room. The point of no return.   
I couldn’t help but to evoke the moment when Regis called me to tell me he wanted me to accompany his son. The day my life changed.   
We postponed the moment of truth as much as we could, indulging in our last moment of innocent bliss before we faced Ardyn. Before we perhaps faced death itself.   
We merely reminisced old times. That day of our departure, when I was late and I first met Prompto. When Gladio, Ignis and the blond himself nervously met with the king so he could bid them farewell. Like Noctis said, it felt like forever ago.   
“Not much further” Prompto observed as we made our way to the big doors, painfully slow.   
“Well, shall we?” Ignis encouraged the king. “Noct?”  
I, myself, dared not to speak. My throat was too dry and I feared it would confirm my fear to them. I preferred to linger on my silence and seethe internally instead.  
“Yeah, but, uh…” Noctis nervously stuttered. “Hold on a sec”   
I stirred in my spot, filled with an anguish like any other. Then he turned to us, as he was facing the door in dreaded anticipation.  
“Prompto” He called the blond, startling him a tad. “Can I see your photos?”   
“Um… yeah!” Prom still found the strength to smile, even in the darkest of times.  
“I just need one, to… take with me” There was so much resigned sorrow on the former prince’s voice.  
“O-Oh, yeah… I get it…” Perhaps he had forsaken his beloved camera, but he still held on to the photographs taken along the journey and hence, the memories they represented. “Um… you can take whichever you like”   
We gathered to watch the printed photographs as Noct looked at them. I wondered when Prompto printed them, but I could understand that he did it in secret, keeping it to himself in order to cherish it on his own.   
Noct moved from photo to photo, reminding us of all the places we’ve been. The Regalia, Hammerhead, Altissia, Lestallum, Galdin Quay, Wiz Chocobo Post… all the things we’d seen, including all the monsters we fought and the adventures we lived. So much we went through together.   
The most important scenes played in my mind, those that specially shaped me. When Ignis got hurt and I broke down, just to have Prompto comfort me. When Noctis and I very slowly began to become friends. When we fought Titan and Gladio’s words opened my eyes to my own weakness. When I realized I was in love with Prompto and when much later we kissed on the lighthouse… there were just so many moments that lead to the present.  
I laughed to myself when I realized I used to be quite the crybaby, yet I was proud of the change and development that was visible along those years.   
Noct stopped at the photo of us in Hammerhead, posing around the car. Because when he went on to the next one, we realized it was duplicated.  
“Oh” Prompto chuckled, slightly bashful. “That one’s for Alex”  
He took the duplicate and handed it to me. I saved it in my pocket in a daze.  
He remembered. After all that time, Prompto actually remembered how much I adored that picture and ordered another copy for me like he promised.   
Oddly enough, that very picture of the five of us gathered around the Regalia was Noct’s choice. It quite definitely was a perfect summary of our journey.  
When he noticed Noct held the photo up, Prompto piped up.  
“Then it’s settled. That’s the one, no backsies?”   
“Yeah” There was a certain amount of sentimentalism in our friend’s pale eyes.   
That was it, the moment had arrived.   
Once we passed through the doors there was no going back. We either defeated Ardyn or died trying. As long as we gave safe passage to Noct, hence restoring the light, it would be worth it.   
I wasn’t ready, even if I tried to pretend like I was. But I had left behind that façade, that version of myself far behind. I needed some sort of friendly contact that would provide me with some needed solace.   
I reached out and found Ignis’ hand, hoping he wouldn’t be too flamboyant about it. Without giving any other signs of having noticed, my best friend gently closed his fingers around my hand and furnished me with the comfort I requested.  
“Come here, Alex” Noctis must have noticed too, because he opened his arms.   
I believed it was the first time he ever openly offered me a hug, and I was sure as hell going to take his invitation. It’s not every day the king himself presents you with this offer.  
I didn’t waste a second to shelter myself in his embrace, pressing my face against his shoulder. I was shaking slightly.   
Before we could pull away, Prompto joined. He hugged me from behind and rested his face down on my shoulder blade.   
Gladio enveloped the three of us from the side with his big arms, wanting to part take in the group hug. Even Ignis joined, figuring what was happening.   
The communal hug gave me strength to face my destiny. Our destiny. Come what may. 

 

When Noctis pushed the doors open, the disturbing scene before us was revealed. Ardyn sitting at the end of the room, in Noctis’ throne. Something horrible up above, was hanging from the ceiling. I couldn’t tell what because I averted my eyes in disgust.  
“What… is that?” Prompto uttered, making me look at it again.  
Figures hung from the ceiling, dead people that Ardyn surely used as a reminder of his power. Some of those figures were Lady Lunafreya and former king Regis. It was a repulsive tactic, tasteless and cruel. Merely to evoke fear in our hearts. I could tell by the smirk he sent us while we made our way to the throne, spitefully. Valiantly, to show we were not intimidated by his tricks, we marched onward.   
“I’m afraid you’re out of luck. The throne brings you here?” He let out a disgusting self-satisfied chuckle, almost an evil cackle, as he recalled our first encounter in Galdin Quay. “It seats only one”   
It does, and that one is not you. It seats only Noctis.  
“Off my chair, jester” Noct said with a ruthless voice. “The king sits there”   
I smirked to myself, greatly satisfied by the smart reply, wanting to applaud him. My grin, however, transformed into a scowl as Ardyn stood up and stomped on the throne with one foot, leaning on his knee as he looked at us.  
“Oh, Noct… How long I have waited for this…” I tightened my fists closed, disgusted by that nickname coming from him. He had no right to call my friend that. “Longer than you could ever know… Tonight, the dreams of the blood royal come to an end”   
I observed Noctis, watching how he also scowled and grinded his teeth together with the hatred shown in his features.   
“Spite’s all that kept him going” Gladio observed, repulsed.   
“Huh, talk about a grudge” Prom glared daggers at Ardyn.  
“Ardyn sits the throne?” Ignis asked Noctis.  
“He wishes” I sarcastically said, glaring daggers at him as well.  
“Ha, not for long” Noctis assured in a low yet stern voice. “This is my ascension”   
Ardyn then extended his hand, which created a black and purplish mist that floated over to us. I heard my friends struggling like me as soon as I felt like I was choking.  
Last thing I knew, despite fighting with every single fiber of my body, was that a darkness had engulfed me. A darkness I thought would never overcome me again. 

 

I regained consciousness when a hand vigorously shook my shoulder. Gladio.   
“Noct!” I sat up, startled, and looked around me.   
I didn’t even ask my friend what happened as he stood up, I knew Ardyn was behind our blackout. Honestly, I did not care about the details. I was merely concerned with Noctis’ state.   
Gladio nodded to me once he assured I was alright and ran outside. I could hear a pair of footsteps following him in a rush.  
“Quick!” A gloved hand was presented to me, and I did not hesitate to take it and let it pull me up. “I think Noct’s outside!”  
I clung onto Prompto’s hand as we rushed there to reunite with him. I prayed that he was alive and well.   
The long corridors felt never ending, and solely the comfort of Prompto’s hand against mine evened my tachycardia. It felt like hours until we finally made it outside, frantically looking around until we soon spotted three figures standing there.   
Prompto and I slowed our walking, carefully walking down the steps. It was raining, and the raindrops were soaking us to the bone. I didn’t care about that either.  
For a moment, the pitter-patter of the water against the ground was the only sound audible as we positioned ourselves next to Gladio and Ignis. In front of Noctis.   
Until I dared to say something.  
“Noct” I began, gathering the courage to break the silence. “Ardyn…?”   
With a tender expression, he nodded in my direction. He wouldn’t bother us any longer.   
The rain seemed to intensify as the silence settled once more. No one had anything to say at first. Or rather, we had too much we wanted to say but preferred not to.  
“So this is farewell” Ignis spoke up in the end.   
“Yeah, here we are” Noctis agreed in spite of himself.   
“It’s all you” Gladio’s words were almost encouraging as they reminded him of his newfound power. Our friend nodded with determination and turned around, prepared to walk up the stairs and fulfill his fate.   
“No turning back now” Prompto’s voice was broken as he spoke, probably to himself.   
“It… must be done” I was also trying to convince myself.  
It may have been the sound of our voices, or some particular thoughts that passed him by. Whatever the case, Noctis stopped mid-step and faced us again.  
“Prompto. Gladio. Ignis. Alexandria. I leave it to you” His words seemed to carry as much emotional weight as his eyes were. “Walk talk… my friends”   
For a moment that felt like ages, we stared at each other. Perhaps the last time we would see one another. It was a far too painful thought to dwell on it.   
“Godspeed, and take care” Ignis spoke slowly, with raw emotion. “Majesty”   
Ignis bowed, and we all mimicked the gesture without thinking it twice, showcasing our loyalty and faith in our king. In our friend Noctis.  
The rain engulfed us again with its sound and its apparent aura of doom and farewell.   
Just then, daemons materialized from the ground, emitting darkish glows behind us. We had work to do.  
Only after another brief yet torturous, unsettling and loud pause, did our friend move.  
“The time has come” Noctis lifted a fist to his heart, just like we had.   
Then he faced his back to us and proceeded to walk up the stairs. That sight of him walking away left me with an unpleasant feeling that spread all over me, also creating a familiar bitter taste in my throat. However, the four of us faced our daemons. Willing to defend our king until the end.

 

It stopped raining. The daemons had stopped appearing. We were alive and mostly unharmed.  
Why was my stomach turning then? Why did I have the feeling that, although I could tell the light had returned, everything was wrong?   
We always knew death was more than a possibility for all of us at that point. I thought I was ready to accept it, but I wasn’t. When the thought that Noctis might be dead inside there arrived to my mind, I refused. I just… denied it. It wasn’t possible, I would not lose him.  
“Noct…” I uttered, dismissing my sword and heading for the staircase.   
“Alex!” Prompto called me, yet I deliberately ignored him.   
“Where you going?!” Gladio shouted behind me.  
Soon enough, I could hear them running after me. But I was already inside, even if I ran so fast that I couldn’t breathe.   
“Noct!” I ran to him, despite the fact that I feared my instinct wasn’t deceiving me. For once, I wanted to ignore it, to believe it was wrong. If only.   
With urgency and rage, I pushed the doors open to reveal the throne room. My eyes frantically looked around until they met with a nasty imagine.  
I observed the figure of my friend, limply sitting on the throne. Completely motionless. Lifeless. It felt wrong. It just wasn’t right. That shouldn’t be happening.  
I approached him in a daze, so many confusing and racing thoughts passing through my mind. All denying what I was witnessing.  
“Wake up!” I shook him vehemently, not paying any attention to the hurried footsteps behind me.   
“Alex…” Prompto said with a broken voice.   
“Noctis” I called him again, desperate to see his pale blue eyes. “Prince Noctis!”   
“Alex, we want him back as much as you do but…”   
“No!” I turned to them, and their exhausted appearances just brought me more pain. “I’m not giving up!!”   
After everything we had gone through. After we had suffered and endeared the greatest of pains. After we had waited patiently, not losing hope, struggling. It couldn’t end like this.   
I had already failed one king. I wouldn’t fail another one.  
“I’m afraid that not even a Phoenix Down would bring him back” Ignis knew what was happening as well.   
Perhaps he couldn’t see Noctis, but he certainly was smart enough. Not only judging by the desolation in my voice, but because he just knew. Ignis must have feeling that emptiness inside him just like I was.   
“A Phoenix Down…” I repeated, hopeful, clinging on to our last resort.   
“Kid, his wound is too deep” Gladio’s voice was as broken and hoarse as ever. “Even if you managed to bring him back-“   
“Shut up!” I refused to give up without a fight. “I have to try…”   
Ignis sighed, crestfallen. I felt Prompto’s gentle hand in my shoulder, silently telling me to stop, but I shrugged him off.   
“Al-“ I knew they wanted to put an end to my futile attempts, but I… refused.   
“He can’t be gone!” I sobbed, even if I meant to let out an angry yell. “Not him too…”   
When Prompto’s glance met with mine, I read the empathy in them. I wasn’t the only one that had suffered, and they understood my grief, my endeavor. We had lost so many things along the way… So many people had died. It started with King Regis, but then followed Lunafreya, Jared, Ravus…  
After all that happened in Altissia, it started to feel like my friends were the only good thing I had left. And even then, Ignis became blind. I just couldn’t take anymore, I wouldn’t accept that Noct was gone. Not him as well.  
I frantically searched my pockets, looking for a Phoenix Down. I smiled, gasping for air, when I found it. I was trembling as I put the container in Noctis’ cold and still hands and closed his fingers around it.   
“Please…” I whispered, too choked up to project my voice. “We need him back”   
The elixir dissolved into his hand when I squeezed it, and a fiery orange flame filled it and extended across his whole body. We all held our breath as we waited, hoping, praying that it worked. An eternal one second pause occurred until one of us spoke up again.  
“It didn’t work” Ignis stated sadly.  
“It’s no use…” Prompto uttered as well.  
I looked Noctis up and down, still not believing we had lost him. I still remembered how he looked like when we left Crown City. That smug smirk on his lips, that light in his pale eyes, his disheveled dark hair that fell on his face, his younger and softer features, his laid-back, slightly vain and lazy demeanor.   
Seeing him with that thick bear and his longer hair, his adult features and stern eyes… it reminded me of everything that was wrong with the world. Until my eyes fell on something that made the breath hitch in my throat. The ring of the Lucii.   
“We still have one last resort, this is not over”   
“What are you talking about?!”  
“Alexandria, there is nothing we can do for him now!”  
“That we’ll see” I took the ring from Noct’s finger and put it on my own.  
I knew they would do the same, any of them. Just like Gladio would willingly give his life to save Noctis’, just like Ignis had given up his eyesight, just like Prompto wouldn’t think twice to do whatever it took to protect his friend. They would give their lives in exchange for Noctis’ in an instant, not giving it a second thought. And so would I.   
I was aware of the fact that there would be a price to pay because of putting the ring on, but I was willing to accept it. As long as I saved Noctis.   
Perhaps my friends weren’t as stubborn as I was in believing there had to be a way. But I didn’t give them the chance to offer themselves, I would beat them to it.  
“Alex, no!” But they were too late.   
Suddenly I was surrounded by darkness, but for once I was not afraid of it. I embraced it, letting my fears make me even stronger. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes from the past.   
Blueish shadows stood over me, enormous and mighty. The former kings of Lucis.   
A strange tension floated in the air, like a constant pressure stood over me and slowly fed from my vital strength.   
“How dare you wear the ring, mortal?” A distorted voice spoke from the nothingness, but I sensed it coming from in front of me.  
“What is your purpose?”   
“To stop the suffering” I replied adamantly, closing my hands into fists. “To put an end to all this pain”   
“It is over” Another voice replied, sounding at my right. “The prophecy has been fulfilled, the Chosen King-”   
“The Chosen King is dead! How will Lucis carry on without him? How will we continue without our king? The royal lineage can’t end like this!”   
There was an eloquent silence that hinted at the fact that I gave them a fair argument.   
“Is it your intention to bring him back?”   
“He did give his life to restore the peace, to save us all and give us a future, he’s already fulfilled the prophecy and saved us all with his light” My voice was strangled, as I tried to keep tears back. I was tired of having to do that. I was so tired. “Now I want to save him. I hoped the Lucii had the power to do it”   
“Would you be willing to give your life for it?”   
“Yes” I replied without hesitation.   
“No!” A softer voice spoke urgently, causing my heart to skip a beat. “She is right”   
I gawked at the blurry shadow when I recognized the voice. Even though I hadn’t heard it in a really long time, but I knew who it belonged to after so many years working for him.  
“King… King Regis?” My eyes filled with tears, alien to the feeling that engulfed me.   
I hadn’t expected to ever hear that voice again. I had mourned his death and allegedly recovered from the grief that his absence brought me after enduring that much pain. Hearing that voice again caused varied feelings to stir within me.   
“Enough people have died already” Regis opined gravely. “Spare her life, I know this young woman can be deemed worthy of our mercy”   
“But what about Noct?” I exclaimed, looking up at them, practically begging. “My purpose is to save him! I won’t leave without knowing he’s-”  
“You cannot defy us and demand our power!”   
“I don’t want your damn power!! I just want my friend back!”  
“Noctis has shown his devotion and his worthiness” That familiar voice commented. “Lucis cannot resurge without a king”   
Regis obviously wanted his son to live, he wanted to give him a future. To give us all a future, to reclaim Lucis and bring it back to life. It was what he had wanted all over again, why he gave his life on the first place. Why he sent Noctis away from Lucis during the war, to keep him safe. And so he was trying to convince the royal lineage of the Lucii as well.  
I was tired of sacrifices. I was tired of death and destruction. I was tired of being afraid and weak, of crying. I was determined and brave for the first time in my life.  
“I won’t leave without your promise” I assured, not fearing anymore. “I promised to stand by him, and I have. And I will, so either I die with him or I live with him”   
I didn’t expect to leave them all speechless for a moment, but the silence settled in the air.   
Perhaps it was my tenacious determination. Perhaps the fact that Lucis needed a worthy king. Perhaps the Lucii were as tired as I was. Whatever the case, they spoke again.  
“Very well” They said. “The suffering will now end”   
“But you must pay a price”   
“Are you willing to do it?”   
“Anything” I nodded, holding my breath in anticipation.  
“You shall return now, mortal”  
“Remember something will be taken in return”   
Everything disappeared before my eyes, and I felt myself leaving with it too. My mind made me feel like I was floating, and a dizziness spell took over me as I closed my eyes tight. I knew I had left that realm when that pressure in the air softened until it faded away completely. 

 

When I came to, I felt faint.   
Something was burning my finger, so I immediately took it off before I could realize that it was the ring of Lucii. They had spared me, but didn’t allow me to wear it anymore.  
As soon as I angrily ripped it from my finger and let it drop to the ground, making a metallic sound, I felt myself falling. The ring had drained me from my strength, as well as my shocking encounter with the Lucii. And with Regis Lucis Caelum.   
Two lean arms were there to pick me up before my weak form hit the ground. Those arms had wrapped around me enough times to recognize the warmth that engulfed me.   
“Alex!”   
“Prom…” I gasped, heaving my chest up to get some air. “I made it”   
“What happened?” Ignis demanded to know. “Are you alright, dear?”   
“I’m here, Iggy” I weakly uttered, reaching out to hold his hand. “It’s over”   
“What do you mean-“ Before Gladio could finish his sentence, a loud gasp startled us all. Almost as though someone had come back to life.   
Noctis. Awakening.   
Feeling stupidly happy and out of myself, I let out a nervous laugh. I covered my mouth with my hands as tears ran down my face like waterfalls.   
“Noct!” Prompto hurriedly and nervously supported my weight with one arm, leaning me over his torso, as he rushed us both closer to the seated king.  
“Noct?” Ignis repeated, completely dumbfounded and incredulous.   
Noctis grimaced in pain and held his chest there where his mortal wound was. Even if it was there no more.   
“How…” He asked us, giving us a puzzled look.  
“You royal brat” I laughed, softly pushing Prompto away and throwing myself to hug Noctis.   
His arms moved in a daze until they hugged me back. It reminded me of the first time we hugged, back when we first embarked in our journey and I was trying to comfort him under the rain. We had come a long way.  
“Alex, what the hell is going on?” The king asked me, gently pushing me away to lock eyes with me. “How am I alive?”  
“Your sacrifice was made, but we weren’t as keen of giving you up”   
“The thing is you are, Noct!” Prompto excitedly replied.  
“What did you do?” Ignis asked me too, gravely.   
“A small sacrifice in the greater battle” I replied, although part of me was scared of the price I was to pay. “It doesn’t matter now, it is done”  
Noctis glanced at us with fondness, obviously grateful for us all. I, on the other hand, punched him in the shoulder as hard as I could. Honestly, I had always wanted to punch him, even if lately not as much.   
“You scared me to death, you idiot!” I explained myself when I saw his glance of bewilderment.   
I needed to let out some anxiety, because I was shaking. I still felt faint and weak, yet the scare produced some adrenaline that sped my heart up.  
“Hey, show your king some respect” There was some of the old Noct back, I recognized it by that unmistakable smirk of his.   
Prompto placed an arm over my shoulders as I sighed happily. Everything was okay, we were all together once more. The danger was gone, the light was restored. We had come to a happy ending after all our suffering. Finally.   
I noticed that Gladio was staring at me, though, and I realized his face was starting to blur. I had to lean on my boyfriend as a breathless gasp arrived to my lips, being drained from the few energies I had left.   
“Whoa” Prompto held me up by the waist, fixing his eyes on me with concern. “You okay?”   
I couldn’t answer, I was too preoccupied with a certain thought that occupied my mind. A gut-wrenching certainty that saddened me. Yet I was willing to oblige.  
There was a price to pay, and it felt like it was my time to do so.   
As my body was rid from all vitality, I limply rested over Prompto’s torso.   
“Alexandria?”   
“Alex, what’s wrong!”   
My eyes closed on their own as I was slowly drifting to unconsciousness. I could still hear them calling me, feel them touching and shaking me. But it was too late.  
I would have wanted to take a good last look at them, to maybe say goodbye. Say some things I needed them to know. But I was already surrounded by darkness yet again.


	21. The Big Day

“Alex? Xanders!” The familiarity of that voice was comforting. “Alex, p-please say something. Anything”   
It was disturbing to sense so much pain and sadness in that otherwise upbeat voice. Why was he so heartbroken?   
“What happened?” I uttered weakly, feeling like even separating my eyelids was tiring.   
I opened my eyes, however, and was received with a comforting pair of blue eyes very close to me. But there were tears in them, they were drowned in fright and concern.   
Until my eyes locked with him and relief washed through them in the blink of an eye.  
“Alex!! Oh, Gods!” A strangled noise came from Prom’s throat as he urgently held me against his chest, so tight that I could barely breathe. “I thought I lost you!”  
Ignis’ familiar sigh sounded next to him. His trembling hand fell upon my shoulder.  
“I would venture to say that you’re to give up your vitality in order to maintain the light” He said, even if his voice was low and slightly broken.   
“Kid, you almost gave me a freaking heart attack” Gladio heavily sighed as well, taking a hand to his chest. “The scares you give me!”   
I weakly smiled as Prompto helped me sit up against his torso. His arms wrapped around me stronger than ever, in the neediest embrace we exchanged so far. When he buried his face in my neck, I could have sworn he was sobbing. He was definitely shaking.  
I looked up to the other figure worriedly looking down to me. Noctis. Alive.   
“Is that the pri… king?” I extended a hand that he gently took. “That’s it, I did it”   
“Yeah, you did it alright” He replied, almost reprimanding me. “Something stupid, that’s what you did!”   
“I hate you so much for scaring me like this, Xanders…” Prompto whispered against my skin, forcing me to chuckle awkwardly as he hadn’t heard a word anyone else said.   
“But I’m alive…” Honestly, I expected to reunite with Regis and Lady Lunafreya.   
“It is still a sacrifice, Alexandria” Ignis stated, taking me by my free hand.  
Specs tried to pull me up, but Prompto held tighter on to me, claiming me. He sniffled through his nose and pressed his face closer against me.   
“Okay…” He gave in after a brief moment. “You can hug her, but then I get to hug her again”   
Still resting my back against his chest while he uncovered his face from the crook of my neck, I lovingly caressed his cheek with the back of my hand.   
I didn’t know for how long I was unconscious for, but I definitely scared them real badly.   
Between Noctis and Ignis, I was pulled to my feet only when Prompto’s arms allowed them to. Once my legs had to hold up all my weight, I wobbled due to a sudden and strong dizzy spell.   
Their hands on mine, as well as Gladio’s on my back, steadied me before Prompto could recover quickly enough to realize what was happening.   
“I thought Prompto here was the only one that did stupid things” The big guy said with a grin.  
“That is debatable” Ignis humored him, squeezing my hand before letting go of it.  
“She got it from me” Prompto said in an emotional high-pitched voice, just recovered from his sobbing.   
The three of them hugged me at once, making me feel welcome. Making me feel lucky that my sacrifice had paid off. That thanks to Regis I was spared with my life, even though paying a great price in spite of it all. I was exhausted beyond belief, a state that I assumed would accompany me for the rest of my life.  
Too impatient to wait until I was relieved from their embrace, Prompto joined as the five of us met for a group hug.  
Ardyn was gone. We were all alive and well. The light was restored to the world.   
For once, we were allowed to be happy.

 

The coronation ceremony made me jittery. It was a big occasion yet there was absolutely no reason for me to be restless or nervous. I wasn’t the one who would have everyone’s attention on them. Although it was my first day as an official Crownsguard, perhaps that explained it. Or should I say Crownsguard slash Kingsglaive? Because I was wearing the uniform of the latter.  
I took a deep breath as I looked at my reflection in the mirror and adjusted my outfit. I wondered where Iggy had gone with the crown. Where was Prompto? And Gladio as well? I felt so vulnerable there alone!   
A hand heavily patted my back, answering one of those questions. I saw Gladio’s reflection in the mirror as he positioned himself behind me and placed an arm over my shoulder.  
“Nervous, princess?”   
“Terrified, actually” I sighed, nibbling on my lip as I examined myself in search for anything in my appearance that I should fix. “Bet you’re restless too!”   
“Not even one bit” He seemed cool as a cucumber. “Do you know who you’re talking to?”   
His playful and jokingly smug attitude got me to smile, breathing out and calming my nerves slightly.   
“Here’s the prettiest girl in Eos!” Another person rushed into the room, winking an eye at me and hugging me from behind. “How ya doing, sweetie pie?”   
I was endeared by one of the most recent nicknames Prom started calling me. He always came up with them, and each one was cuter.   
Knowing cheesiness ensued with the pair of us, Gladio held his hands up in refusal and quickly got away from us. We sometimes took advantage of his reaction to our cutesy couple things to get a good laugh out of it.   
“Trying not to panic”   
“Don’t even worry” Prompto lively stood next to me, there where Gladio was a moment ago, and smiled at me from the reflection. “You’ll do great, baby”   
His arms sneaked around my waist and pulled me against his side, a habit that he developed since I used to get too weak and tired to stand on my own sometimes. One of the disadvantages of putting the ring of the Lucii on that one time. Yet even when it got to the point that I would unexpectedly faint, it was worth it in the end as it made the big day possible.   
The moment I put the ring on felt like a lifetime ago, even if it happened around one month in the past.   
Prompto caught me with my guard down when he kindly tickled my sides, causing me to sink to his side. Tickling me was his go-to technique to get me to smile when I was distraught, and it was quite an endearing gesture.   
He chuckled as I turned around to be face to face with him.  
“I can suddenly get one of my faltering moments and fall over, or even swoon!” I openly voiced my worries, trusting him entirely to do so.   
“People know about them, so it’s fine” Prompto kissed me in the cheek to encourage me. “And besides, we’ll get you if that happens”   
“Really?”   
“Yeah, just walk calm and slow. You’ll be okay, cutiepie!”   
“I guess…” I tilted my head to the side, still not too convinced. “It’s just that they gave me such an important task… carry the crown, no less!”   
“Yes, you’ve been given that honor because you made the coronation possible in the first place!” I blushed slightly at the praising. Surely, one of them would have done so for Noctis if I hadn’t.   
“But what if do I fall, Prom?” I locked eyes with him, hoping their softness would provide me with serenity and comfort. Which they did, as usual.   
“I won’t let you fall” His arms held me tightly as his lips gently met with mine.  
“I believe you already have Prompto to help you…” Ignis’ voice interrupted our kiss. We urgently pulled away out of respect as soon as he announced his presence.   
“H-Hey, Igster!” Prom cleared his throat, as he sometimes behaved around him awkwardly, as though Ignis was actually my older brother. He definitely could be overprotective as one. “Just… y’know… chatting with Xanders over here”   
“Not quite what I heard from here” The man walked towards us, confident yet playful.   
“I was just leaving anyway” Prompto was flustered by his presence and the fact that he caught us kissing. Wasn’t he adorable?   
Indeed, my boyfriend hurriedly left the room to give us some time alone. Ignis surely had words of his own to dedicate me.  
“He will never replace you, Iggy” I quickly told my best friend. “No one can”   
“I certainly hope so, darling” He flashed me a sober and tiny smile.   
Without saying anything else, he offered me something in his hands. A small red cushion with black ornaments, containing the official coronation crown. It wasn’t the usual Lucis crown, as this one resembled the more traditional circular and golden one. Noct would wear his actual kingly crown on a daily basis, the one like his father’s that only occupied one side of his head. The one displayed in the red cushion was solely for the coronation.  
“It is time” Ignis encouraged me upon noticing I wasn’t taking it.   
“Of course” Gingerly, I picked it up and carried it carefully.   
I was to deliver the crown to the king in order to initiate the coronation ceremony. I had rehearsed my movements countless times. Upon delivering the crown, I would walk over to the side of the throne where my other three friends would be waiting for me. To represent the king’s personal bodyguards.  
“I am so proud of you, Alexandria” Unexpectedly, Ignis left a fraternal kiss on my head that nearly made me drop the cushion and crown. “I always knew you would achieve great things, being the extraordinary young woman you are”   
“I-Iggy…” I whined, in a way that reminded myself of Prompto. “Noct is the one to be complimented today, not me”   
He let out a soft yet genuine chuckle that passed on to me as well.   
“I suppose so, Alex”   
“Psst!” A disheveled mop of blond hair stuck out at the door. “Guys, we’re up!”  
Ignis solemnly nodded and walked over to the door, which Prompto held open for him. Then he fidgety came in and gave me the brightest smile to cheer me up.   
“Nervous, sunshine?” I asked him, feeling like the crown weighted a lot in my hands even though it actually was quite light.   
“A little” He coolly shrugged one shoulder. “But I’m more excited than anything”   
“Me too” Too see Noct finally wearing his crown, owning what was rightfully his after such an arduous and long struggle… it was… exhilarating.   
“For luck!” Prom lovingly smacked his lips in mine before running off the room, making me grin out of fondness and adoration.   
Taking a deep breath, I pictured in my head the scene we had rehearsed. Gladio, the Shield, was to lead the way. After that followed Ignis, the royal advisor. Prompto was right behind, and I would followed after him. I nodded to myself, knowing I wouldn’t ruin such a special moment if my friends were there standing by me. Having my back.   
The door was open, so I went through the threshold and immersed myself in the throne room where thousands of people stood expectantly. I could see Iris, and Talcott. Even Cid and Cindy!   
I remembered Prom’s advice and walked slowly behind him, noticing how he subtly looked over his left shoulder to check on me. I had to conceal a smile because of that.  
The throne at the other end of the room seemed to be so far away, especially to my weakened body, but we eventually got to the staircase that led to it. Like we had rehearsed, while my friends walked up the steps to stand next to the throne, I walked closer to Cor. The Marshall took the crown from me with a head nod and turned around to Noctis, who gracefully stood before everyone at the end of the stairs.   
On cue, I walked the steps to meet with my friends and faced the crowd, holding my head up with dignity. And trying not to make too obvious how emotional I got when I saw Noct.   
I occupied my established spot between Ignis and Prompto. The latter wrapped an arm around me again, taking advantage that we stood so close to each other that no one would notice. That day it wasn’t too bad, but I did feel quite faint and so I appreciated his thoughtful gesture. Ignis’ hand also found its way to the middle of my back and reassuringly rested there as well. And I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of a wink coming from Gladio. I felt safe as long as my friends stood by me. Protective as always.   
Footsteps resonated against the entire throne room as Cor approached the king. He had been given the task to put the crown on the new king by Noct himself. After all, Cor ‘The Immortal’ had been a loyal servant to Regis before Noctis as well. And I could see the pride and joy in his eyes as he prepared to crown Noctis.   
“I hereby pronounce you Noctis Lucis Caelum, king of Lucis” Cor proclaimed out loud, with a clear and grave voice that gave me chills.   
I observed Noctis, beaming with pride.   
Anyone can be a prince, it is nothing but an heir. A king on the other hand must earn his title, show his strength and morals. And Noct had done many great things to be called king.   
“Long live the King!” Ignis initiated the chant, which people soon joined.   
I could hear Gladio’s potent voice louder than anyone’s as he chanted those four words as well. His eyes were shining with fulfillment when I looked at him.  
Prompto’s voice broke next to me as he fought with himself to get over the emotional cracks coming from his throat.   
I just was overwhelmed with emotion as I chanted along with everyone, but stopped when his eyes fell on us. Noctis dedicated me that sweet but mischievous smirk I knew so well.   
“Long live the king…” I whispered with happy tears in my eyes. “You will be a great one, King Noctis”


End file.
